


Light my way

by azure_lemon



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Chuck isn't Michael's father, Class Differences, Crimals are turned slaves, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family Dynamics, Hurt Adam Milligan, Hurt/Comfort, John Winchester Being an Asshole, M/M, Master Michael, Michael doesn't look like young John Winchester, Michael is the lord, Not coming from Michael towards Adam though, Overseer Zachariah, Protective Michael (Supernatural), Slave Adam, Slow Burn, Whipping, Zachariah Being an Asshole (Supernatural), and the hypocrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:21:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 45
Words: 131,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25383004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azure_lemon/pseuds/azure_lemon
Summary: Michael is influential, wealthy aristocrat who moved to the countryside in order to catch a break from the life full of schemes and connections. One day he coincidentally stumbles upon a young criminal, who is about to be executed. He takes pity on the boy and turns him into a slave instead. Now Adam has to deal with harsh treatment and loss of freedom, but resolves not to break. When he slowly starts to lose hope that things can change for better, it turns out there might be a silver lining and maybe, just maybe, Lord Michael isn't all bad.
Relationships: John Winchester/Mary Winchester, Kelly Kline/Lucifer (Supernatural), Michael/Adam Milligan, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Past Kate Milligan/John Winchester
Comments: 194
Kudos: 136





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ  
> I’ve been writing a lot of short forms recently, but I missed writing a longfic. I’ve been posting pretty often till now, but I’ll slow down a bit and be posting new chapters twice a week. Since English isn’t my native language I need more time to write and in the meantime think the whole plot over and correct mistakes.  
> Tags may change, rating may change, tagged m for safety.  
> Under no circumstances I condone slavery or corporal punishment in any way. This work is purely fictional.  
> Michael DOESN'T look like young John Winchester, but is still dark-haired with hazelnut eyes.  
> Windom just shares a name with the one from original SPN series and I've got a permission to use name ''Enochia'' from Susanoosama01, for which I say thanks once more.  
> I've tagged it medieval au, because it's the closest to what I've planned. Most elements are medieval-like, there is no modern technology, there's a king, nobles, class differences, there are some rules like illegitimate children have it worse, but it's not a letter of law, more a matter of fact.  
> It'll be a while before majority of characters will appear, so have patience please.  
> Okay, I think it's all for now on. They'll probably be more notes as the story carries on.

If someone asked Lord Michael Milton if he was happy with his life, he would have probably said yes. He was a successful, well-known, respected man, a relative of the King, slightly bored aristocrat, who had enough funds not to worry about his wellbeing, but didn’t feel the need lead an extravagant life. He stepped aside from politics a few months before, fed up with constant atmosphere of intrigues and distrust, but he still was monitoring the moods in case he wanted to intervene in some way. His still word counted a lot, even if he focused rather on overseeing his business in the countryside. Despite all this great achievements all his relationships didn’t make it and sooner or later he found himself single again. He started to embrace the thought he would be alone till the rest of his days. It wasn’t as bad as one could have expected. He had plenty of siblings, so his family name surely wouldn’t die out even if he hadn’t have a son. He planned to will his title and lands to his younger brother’s son, Jack. He and Lucifer weren’t exactly in the best terms, but Jack wasn’t much like his father, resembling more his sweet and noble mother, Kelly and Michael’s and Lucifer’s youngest brother, Castiel, so the eldest of Miltons didn’t have grounds to worry about the suitability of this choice. If things were going good, there was no reason to change anything. Michael rarely visited the town, after moving from the capital he enjoyed immensely peace and tranquility of the countryside. He considered coming back to his old life one day, but for now he was content with the status quo.

One day, when the heat was unbearable, he was travelling in his carriage, drowsy and uninterested in his surroundings, after attending a few business-related affairs in town. The only thing on his mind was coming as soon as possible back to his pleasantly cool mansion. Maybe he would sit in the garden, in the shadow of the trees and enjoy an iced drink. Luckily, odds were in his favor when it came to business, so he had no bigger worries on his mind. That was definitely a nice change from the life he led not so long ago, especially that he wasn’t the one doing menial, hard work in the fields and gardens. Michael never questioned the way existing hierarchy in society. Some things have always been this way and he knew perfectly well, that is social ladder simply had to exist. Not everyone could have been rich and influential. The higher classes jealously defended their exclusivity and the lower ones were too focused on day-to-day survival or just living a normal life. Michael never spared much thought about how their lives really looks like and it wasn’t uncommon approach for the people with his status.

His peaceful ride was interrupted by some ear-piercing screams, desperate begging and something that sounded like cracking of whip and clicking of shackles. Michael had immediately forgotten about the sleepiness and ordered the carter to stop, curious about the source of commotion. He stepped out of the carriage, which made everybody freeze in the second. Lord Milton knew he must have been recognizable man and what’s more the only blue blood in the neighborhood and his sudden appearance must have made the impression. All eyes were turned on him, making him feel almost uneasy with so much attention, all the noises except of desperate sobbing ceased and even those quieted.

‘’What is happening in here?’’ asked Michael, narrowing his eyes.

‘’I’m so sorry to disturb your peace, My Lord,’’ spoke up a professionally- looking, well-built man, apparently the one was the head of all this mess. ‘’This boy is just a common thief sentenced to death, no reason to be bothered, My Lord.’’

Michael winced, dissatisfied. His peace had already been interrupted and he definitely wouldn’t leave before figuring out what was going on just in front of his eyes. And he thought Windom was a serene place to live. What a disappointment. He sighted with exasperation, studying for a while the unpleasant view. Except the one who just spoke up, there were three other man, armed in whips and one in shackles, surely the reason why all this was happening.

‘’What are you doing with him?’’ inquired Michael.

‘’We’re heading for his execution,’’ answered the same guy as before. ‘’Windom has a strict zero tolerance politics for such a culprits. In a few hours it’ll be over, My Lord.’’

‘’What did he do, Mr, I don’t think I’ve caught your name?’’ asked curiously Michael.

The man suddenly looked more cowed and not enjoying sudden attention.

‘’Henriksen, My Lord. Mostly theft, My Lord,’’

‘’Well, he doesn’t look like a thief,’’ noticed the brunette. ‘’Not like a dangerous one, anyway.’’

‘’He committed mostly petty crimes,’’ admitted Henriksen. ‘’But he’s a repeated offender and a nuisance. It took us a while to catch him. Please don’t let that innocent look fool you, My Lord.’’

Michael examined carefully the convict’s reddened, tear-stained face and red rimmed, swollen and puffy eyes. This boy couldn’t have been older than in his early twenties. Definitely too young to die.

The laws were laws and these were pretty severe. Michael never dwelled much on this subject, having focused on other areas during his time in politics, but personally believed that being overly lenient doesn’t bring the results. Sometimes examples had to be made in order to ensure the greater good and being even overly strict generally could serve as a great deterrent. He was of the opinion that individuals who chose the criminal path should have been fully aware of the consequences and there was no justification, no mitigating circumstances when their deeds were to be judged. Still, theoretical deliberations about justice systems were something completely different from being a real arbiter of life and death a man who was standing in front of him, trembling noticeably. He probably thought this unexpected stop would just prolong the horror of his last hours. Michael didn’t view himself as insensitive. On the one hand, he knew the punishment was probably fair if solely the letter of law was to be considered, still, it seemed to him too harsh for crimes this level. The boy looked healthy and it was fair to assume he was in his prime, it would be such a waste to let him be executed, while he could atone for his deeds in other way. It was either death or lifetime slavery. Usually it ended up with slavery, but apparently this boy had been unfortunate enough to be convicted by a really strict judge. Or maybe it was how things in Windom were carried out. Michael had still a lot of to learn about local customs. Sure, this criminal should be punished and Lord Milton didn’t see any reason to be indulgent, but the boy didn’t deserve a death sentence. Anyway, if life of one man was spared, the justice system wouldn’t collapse.

‘’I don’t deem his execution would be the best solution,’’ he announced, frowning. The convict slowly raised his head and shot him such a hopeful glare. If Michael had second thought before, he didn’t have a heart to leave the boy to die. ‘’This way the debts this young man has to society won’t be ever paid. There is, luckily, another way of handling this problem. Send him to my mansion, where he will work in my kitchens as a slave. This will allow him to lessen his faults and redeem himself by hard work for the others. Tend his wounds, he needs to be fit to work.’’

It seemed like from all the interested only the boy grasped the essence of big words used by Michael. Lord Milton decided that he needed to get used to the fact his not into the center of politics anymore and his talking to less educated recipients.

‘’Just send him to my mansion,’’ he repeated, glaring pointedly at Henriksen. ‘’Mr Henriksen, I’m making you personally responsible for that. Don’t disappoint me.’’

‘’Of course, My Lord,’’ replied Henriksen, bowing.

‘’Good,’’ said Michael. ‘’If we’ve got this settled, I’m leaving. It’s way too sultry for my liking. And unshackle him, for crying out loud. He’s just a scrawny boy.’’

‘’With all due respect, My Lord, he runs really fast and is very sneaky. He was hiding from us for quite a long time,’’ said Henriksen.

Michael swore under his breath. It took much more effort than he would have suspected.

‘’Just send him to me. Unharmed. I can’t believe it takes four man to escort a petty criminal.’’

‘’He’s really troublesome, My Lord.’’

‘’Good thing he’ll be dealt with then,’’ commented Michael. ‘’Good day, gentleman,’’ he added, stepping back into the carriage, leaving without as much as sparing another glance. What had he just done? It was an impulsive decision, not the one he used to make after weighing all the pros and cons. However, this kid just looked so miserable and Michael wouldn’t forgive it himself if he didn’t make an effort to at least try to save him. Especially that he’ll probably never see him again. He rarely visited lower floors of his mansion to personally have an eye of slave’s work. It was quite a relief to be heading back home. He definitely had it enough for one day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting more insight on how Adam is doing (spoiler alert: not great). Warnings as in tags. This is not sunshine and rainbow fic. Consider yourself warned. Also, Nick here is more like season 5 Nick, before Lucifer corrupted him. He's kinda a paternal figure to Adam.

Slaves in King Chuck’s kingdom were mostly former criminals, ranging from rather petty to more serious offenders, some of them being people unable to pay debts or selling themselves into this life because they couldn’t afford to feed their families. Violent offenders or ones who were suspected not to be tame enough to be let near the blue blooded master or mistress were executed without much deliberation. Prisons were rare luxury reserved for wealthy and high born, had done something so gravely even money and connections wouldn’t help them. Every other criminal was promptly enslaved and sent off to one of the palaces of aristocracy to work till the end of their days under the watchful eye of overseers.

When Adam had heard the death sentence he prayed to whomever might be listening for the miracle, but deep down he knew no one cared about what happened to him. Despite this, he couldn’t stand a thought of being gone in a few hours. No matter how miserable his life has been before that, he definitely didn’t want to end it such a young age, especially from executioner’s hand. When he almost accepted his fate, the miracle indeed happened. Adam didn’t have any idea while this important man decided to spare his life, but it happened and the blond didn’t tend to look the gifted horse in mouth. Really, no matter what the fate had in store, his life could always get better while he was still alive.

So, as a result, Adam was relieved, but at the same time, after the initial shock wore off, he had a feeling he was treated unjustly. He didn’t deserve to lose his freedom for his minor crimes. He wasn’t a big fish. He didn’t hurt anyone severely. Sure, he did some things he wasn’t proud of, but it’s not like he had much choice. He definitely shouldn’t be there, in this hot, overcrowded kitchen, working for someone’s else benefit. Still, he kept reminding himself what was an alternative.

Mum would have been so heartbroken seeing her only son in this predicament that Adam was almost glad she didn’t live up to see that day. She loved him dearly and he loved her back just as much. She was the only family he had ever had. Being a child from an affair he never had many opportunities to have a decent life in this cruel word. His father had cut ties with poor Kate immediately after she told him about pregnancy, not wanting to be burdened with evidence of infidelity, a stain on his perfect middle class life. He never visited, never sent any money. Mum told Adam he had a wife and two sons already and was didn’t want to ruin his perfect life for a fling. In the same time, he let Kate believe he loved her and being pretty young and poor, she took his word for granted. Despite all that she always tried to raise her son the best she managed. Maybe if she didn’t die of some mysterious illness she couldn’t afford to cure, Adam’s life would have looked the different way. He was barely twelve when she passed and since that moment, the only person he have counted on, was himself. So he grew, alone, in the streets, learning the hard way about trust and survival. It was when he started to dabble in thievery and other petty crimes, as a result of despair. Kate had taught him about right and wrong, but his empty stomach won with his moral concerns. It wasn’t a great life, but at least he was free. Now, he was still often going hungry and miserable, on the mercy, or rather lack of thereof of Zachariah.

Zachariah was an overseer, a trusted man of Lord Michael and a fucking sadist, if someone was to ask Adam. While the slave really tried to fit it, sometimes just his big mouth or lack of experience got him into trouble. His fellow slaves managed to generally fly under the radar and advised him to make a greater effort to do the same. For blond’s liking, they were all so subdued and cowed that it was almost surreal. Sometimes he wondered if he would turn into a shell of a man with time as well. He didn’t make any friends, maybe except a man called Nick, who was twice his age and they had a decent relationship. Good enough for him. He didn’t make it through the last years relying on others.

Adam felt tears welling up in his eyes. Red angry welts from Zachariah’s whip were supposed to remind him to be more mindful while doing his work and, dammit, it worked. Adam really hated that guy. He knew how to lash not to break skin, yet leave a lasting impression. The slave could have sworn the overseer hold a grudge again him for some reason he couldn’t fathom. Sure, he wasn’t the best behaved man in this place, but he was only a kitchen slave. Maybe sometimes he could have bitten his tongue before making another snarky remark, but he was only speaking the truth.

Zachariah simply seemed to be thrilled to find another excuse to make boy’s life harder. Adam had been never physically punished, not even as a small child, so it was a double torture. During his time on the streets he was involved in plenty of fights, which had risen his level of tolerance for pain significantly, but that was a completely different kind of pain.

Adam tried to focus on peeling the potatoes, but every move reminded him about recent correction. ‘’You’re in pain again, kid?’’ asked Nick with sympathy. He got enslaved after committing some crime connected with getting revenge on the man who killed his wife and baby. He refused to share details with the younger man, which was fine for Adam. Nick treated him a bit like a surrogate child, even though he was a bit rough on edges.

‘’Yep,’’ replied Adam, trying to suppress the groan. ‘’Is there any way to make it hurt less?’’

‘’Just time, kid,’’ said Nick, scrubbing the floor. ‘’Sorry, kid, it’s not like anybody’s handing out the painkillers in there. Zachariah whipped you again, right?’’

‘’Yep. He made me undress. This is so fucking humiliating, Nick,’’ whined Adam. ‘’He knows I hate it and it makes him happy. Fucking bastard. I hope he’ll die bloody soon.’’

Nick chuckled quietly.

‘’No wonder you constantly get yourself in trouble with that attitude. Humiliation is a part of slave’s life, the faster to realize the better for you.’’

‘’I don’t want to realize it.’’

‘’You prefer to be whipped constantly, kid?’’

‘’Of course not,’’ huffed Adam, fighting with another potato. ‘’I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I miss my old life.’’

‘’Adam, your old life is gone and is never going back. You need to understand this.’’

The boy pouted, but remained silent for a while.

‘’He told me if conventional methods doesn’t work, he’ll think about something I won’t like,’’ he whispered.

Nick looked up from the floor.

‘’Who, Zachariah? Adam, I’ve been here for ten years and I’ve never seen anybody like you. You got yourself in more troubles in a few months that many of these folks here in lifetime. Kid, don’t make it to yourself. You’re still very young. I know this life isn’t what anybody wants for their kids, but it could have been worse.’’

‘’I’ll be better,’’ muttered Adam with resignation. ‘’To be honest, I doubt I can handle it much longer. Zachariah threatened with cutting my meals in half again.’’ 

‘’Simple yet efficient,’’ commented Nick, standing up.

‘’On whose side are you?’’ wanted to know offended younger slave.

‘’If I weren’t on yours, I would have reported you long ago for saying thigs like that. Listen, I don’t want it bad for you, okay? I’m just saying, longer you’re going to rebel, more you’re going to suffer needlessly. Trust me, Adam, you can’t win this fight.’’

‘’I don’t want to fight with anybody,’’ sighed Adam. ‘’I just don’t want to be here. And I want Zachariah to have some kind of accident, soon. He bloody deserves it.’’

‘’Seriously, you think other overseer would be better?’’

‘’Sure he would. I’m telling you, Zachariah doesn’t like me. It’s personal.’’

‘’You know, Adam, not that I like him, but sometimes I think you understand him. You’re a challenge for him. He probably can’t stand the thought about any slave stepping out of the line.’’

‘’It’s not like I’m hurting anybody,’’ mumbled Adam.

‘’You’re hurting yourself,’’ pointed out Nick in almost gentle tone. ‘’Think it over, Ads.’’

‘’Why do you care?’’ wanted to know the younger man.

Nick smiled sadly.

‘’Maybe you’re my second chance. Or maybe I just don’t enjoy seeing you like that. Take your pick. Really, kid, here everyone is mostly concerned about themselves, but this doesn’t mean anybody likes to see their fellow slaves being hurt.’’

‘’I’m so fed up with this all, Nick. I’m overlaboring for Lord Milton twelve hours a day and this is a thanks I get?’’

‘’You’ve got a lot of frustration in you, kid.’’

‘’Sure I do,’’ huffed Adam.

‘’This is how the system works,’’ explained softly Nick, as if Adam didn’t experienced it first handed.

‘’Yeah, I know. Good thing I managed not to be caught for so long,’’ he admitted. His thoughts drifted to the day he saw his Master for the first and only time. Lord Michael was wealthy, good-looking and supposing what Adam heard was truth, intelligent, but for some reason unmarried. He was one of a few topics that brought some agitation among the slaves. Adam couldn’t grasp why the man who held them captive caused so much interest. Sure, the blond man was thankful for his intervention that fateful day, but still, he didn’t see many reasons to stoop over what a great man he was. In Adam’s eyes he was just an average aristocrat, with all the consequences of that.

‘’I’ll try harder,’’ promised Adam, more to console Nick, than he really believed in that. He was already trying as hard as he could, but it didn’t bring desired effects.

‘’I hope so,’’ answered the older man. ‘’I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to leave out more drastic details for now, but you get the picture, right? Next chapter will be more descriptive and we'll get more hurt Adam.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: graphic description of violence (whipping). It might be the saddest chapter in this fanfiction and truth be told, it was unbelievably hard to write. I did some research to make all the scene look realistic, but I don’t know if I succeeded. Adam is traumatized, but still a fighter.

It was hard to settle in for Adam, but slowly he started to get used to the routine. Despite that, he still had all the kinds of problems with Zachariah, who miraculously always found out something faulty in slave’s work or behavior. On the one hand Adam knew Nick was right and there was no avail, only chance being the acceptance of how his life looked like now, on the other hand it would be like losing himself, letting himself be turned into a mindless creature. However, his aching back and sleep deprived mind (cutting off his sleep hours was another one of Zachariah’s cruel ideas), prompted him to consider kind of compromise to save his own skin and sanity.

Adam sometimes closed his eyes for a few seconds, dreaming he was far away, somewhere in the wind. The mansion was protected, he knew that, escape was a suicidal mission. Provided he succeeded, would he be chased? Maybe yes, maybe no. Maybe nobody would care enough about one slave missing. Maybe he would have remained uncaught. Too much risk, anyway. He had already came terrifyingly close to death to push his luck. 

In a nutshell, Adam knew there were things he should do and the one he should without a murmur, but there is usually a huge rift between theory and practice. Except, this fateful day it wasn’t even an effect of his rebellious streak kicking in. This particular time he wasn’t trying to prove it to himself he still had his pride, even if it evolved a bit, he didn’t try to nail it to Zachariah he’s not giving up without a fight, this time it was all due to stupid feelings known as sentiment, loneliness and homesickness. He let himself got carried away, just because something reminded him about what he had lost and it wasn’t even about material things. It wasn’t about an empty stomach, because overseer in all his largesse let him eat normal portions. Hell, it wasn’t even his freedom. It was about being cared for, being loved, being reminded that once he had somebody.

Adam was just too curious for his own good. He hated being stuck in the same rooms for quite the long time with no perspective of change. He spend days in the kitchen and nights in the overcrowded, stuffy slavequters and needless to say, moments when Zachariah had taken him out in order to teach him a lesson weren’t even close to fun. When he heard excited whispers and unusual murmurs about something big coming on, at first he was even more fed up than usual. Only thing it meant for him was more work. Really, there was no reason to be enthusiastic about a Lord having some important guests or something. Still, the atmosphere rubbed off on him, just a little bit and he got curious what is stored in a room adjacent to a kitchen. He slipped in there using a moment of guard’s distraction, despite Nick’s warnings.

‘’Kid, you’re going to be a death of mine,’’ sighed an older man with resignation. ‘’Is there anything I can do to persuade you not to do that? What’s even the point of that?’’

‘’I just want to know. Listen, I’ll be fine,’’ promised Adam. ‘’It’ll just take a second. Nobody would notice, I swear. I’ll just take a peek. No harm done.’’

‘’Have it your way,’’ muttered Nick. ‘’Just don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.’’

Unable to put some reason into Adam’s head, Nick came back to work and the fair-haired man carried on with his plan. He gingerly put his hand on the handle and quietly opened the door. He came into the room, closed the door, turned around and froze where he was standing. The room wasn’t big, but there were different types of cakes everywhere. Slave doubted he had even seen such an abundance in his life. Even the most picky man would surely find something for himself in this feast.

Adam didn’t have a place to call home for nearly a decade, but all this reminded him of Mum, how she used to sometimes bake on Saturday mornings. Sometimes he helped her and sometimes when he woke up pie was already in the oven, the mouthwatering smells floating in their tiny, two-bedroom apartment. He hesitantly reached for a small frosted biscuit and took a bit in order to recreate long-forgotten moments. It was just too delicious, tasting even better than he remembered. For a while he had almost forgotten he was not only an adult, but also a slave and he could have sworn he was once again in his childhood home, still full of hope and planning for the future, which back then was tempting him with its brightness. Oh, good days form before his innocence has been brutally taken from him, times when he still dared to dream. He took a piece of apple pie, gobbling it down without much thinking. The voice in the back of his head suggested shyly it’s time to leave, but Adam just wanted this moment to last forever. Sweets were a non-existent luxury to him for years, so even if it was a bit childish, he just let himself got carried away.

A sound of footsteps brought him back to reality. Someone walked into the room. The slave was trapped with no way of rescue, caught red-handed with leftovers of the pie, evidence of something was surely classified as stealing his master’s property and definitely didn’t help him to get on the better side of Zachariah (Adam sometimes suspected there was no better side of this sadist). Talk about devil. Zachariah was eyeing him with a look of a predator who finally, after a long hunt, managed to corner his victim. To make thing even worse, overseer wasn’t alone.

Adam didn’t remember much from that day when he saw Lord Milton first and until this time also the last. His eyes were full of tears as he concentrated on saying goodbye to this world more than on how Michael looked like, but in some way he knew this dark-haired man standing next to Zachariah, frowning, was his Master. It wasn’t even about the expensive clothing he was wearing. It was more innate. Maybe it something in Michael’s face, sheer intelligence in his eyes, maybe the way he moved, maybe the air of authority around him- Adam just knew. His heart started to pound so loudly it crossed his mind that everybody present must hear it. All the blood drained from his face. It was a miracle he didn’t faint on the spot. It must have been an adrenaline flowing in his veins that kept him alert, ready to face the harsh reality. Even if he ventured to defend himself, it would have been a failed attempt form the start and he would rather die than confess in from of Zachariah to a moment of weakness. Not only it wouldn’t have brought him any sympathy, but also would give him another instrument to mock Adam and tear away a few happy memories he had left. He should have really listened to Nick. It was a stupid plan from the beginning. He never considered himself to be sentimental and he really should have kept it that way. He knew he should kneel or at the very least bow, he had it drilled he wasn’t allowed to look up at a freeman, but he couldn’t move. Truth be told, he doubted it would make anything better. It was hard for him to imagine things could get worse even if he carried on with breaking every rule, spoken and unspoked, imposed by overseer.

Adam barely noted that Lord Milton didn’t seem to be angry. More like confused and shocked by finding a slave where he shouldn’t be.

‘’Zachariah,’’ asked Michael with dignity. ‘’Could you tell me what’s going on in here?’’

The balding man frowned. Of the look could kill, Adam would be already lying dead on the floor.

‘’This is unfortunate, My Lord. Apparently we’ve got a thief in here. Luckily, the losses aren’t big, My Lord,’’ replied Zachariah.

‘’Make sure he won’t do it again, Zachariah,’’ announced the nobleman calmly. ‘’I’d rather have everything covered until tomorrow. Make sure the guest will be satisfied. I can’t afford to have more incidents like this.’’

‘’Of course, My Lord.’’

Michael left as if nothing happened and overseer didn’t need to hold back any longer. He grabbed petrified Adam by the collar and started to drag with him through the corridors without saying a word. This eerie silence was even worse than yelling and insults the blond had already gotten used to. His skin was already sore from being dragged, but he was painfully aware soon it’ll be the last one of his worries. No matter how many times he got in trouble with Zachariah, no matter how much he tried to stand tall and proud, he still inside dreaded what was to come inevitably.

A few servants, probably freeman, judging by lack of the collar, passed by, paying no heed to this scene. It took a while for Adam to realize where he was being dragged. Whipping post. He was almost thankful that was it. He could have withstand the pain before and since it was no picnic, he survived. He was almost thankful overseer wasn’t more creative this time. Maybe Zachariah was simply too furious to come up with anything else.

Overseer gracelessly threw he on the moist form previous night rain soil and ordered him to disrobe. Adam complied wordlessly, but it didn’t make his position any better. The balding man was just as cross and vindictive as always if not more.

‘’Why? Why are you like that?’’ asked Zachariah with anger.

Adam didn’t even struggle too fiercely while he was being tied to the whipping post, helpless against this cold fury. Not so long ago, he would have escaped this man with ease, but now he was not only malnourished (that was nothing new), exhausted and overworked, but also paralyzed by fear.

The balding man took a swing and started to land lashes one by one, marking blond’s back with horizontal vicious welts. Adam clenched his teeth, forcing himself to stay quiet.

‘’You made me look like a bad, incompetent overseer,’’ snarled Zachariah. ‘’Like I’m not cut out for this work. But don’t you worry, I’ll take care of this deplorable lapse in discipline. I swear I’ll teach you obedience and humility, no matter what it takes. Transgression like that won’t happen on my watch. You’re a stain on my perfect record of breaking slaves, but I assure you, not for long.’’

This was too much for Adam to care about his dignity. Tears started to fall freely as freeman continued to dole out the hits, unmoved by boy’s suffering.

‘’You’re so miserable,’’ said Zachariah almost gently, but there was something dreadful in this gentleness. It was almost like he suggested he’s not enjoying this situation at all and just doing his job. Like it wasn’t nothing personal.

Another lash, laid swiftly but precisely, had broken the skin. The slave could feel it dripping on his back. Anguished scream was ripped off from his throat. His teeth shattered uncontrollably. Maybe for another overseer it would have been a sign Adam was contrite enough, but not for Zachariah. Methodically, he dished out another hit. The slave didn’t even bother not to scream anymore. The pain was just too overwhelming to keep up the appearances.

‘’You will be respectful. I can guarantee that,’’ announced the balding man with satisfaction, delivering two lashes in short sequence. ‘’You think you can outmatch me. I’m one with upper hand here. Nothing and no one can help you and I’ve got all time in the word to beat this stubbornness out of you.’’

Adam stated to feel dizzy from a loss of blood. Maybe being tied to the post wasn’t as bad as it originally seemed. At least he didn’t have to hold a position. He choked back on tears, too weak to cry out.

‘’Don’t you ever, ever look another freeman in the eye, let alone your Master,’’ said Zachariah, swinging the whip again, carrying on with Adam’s punishment. 

Adam concluded his back must have already been a bleeding mess by now and nothing indicated that overseer planned to stop anytime soon. He didn’t even bother with counting how many he received already and nobody told him how many more he had to endure. Every breath hurt, he almost felt like suffocating, gasping for an air. His vision gradually got blurry.

‘’I’ve told you, I’ll teach you this lesson no matter how much effort it takes,’’ overseer grinned maliciously. ‘’You’ll be a perfect slave from now on. My biggest failure transformed into my biggest success.’’

Adam barely registered the other lash to fall before slipping into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Susanoosama01, I know it’s not how you suspected it will be, but I hope you’re still enjoying this story. One more chapter to see Michael and Adam interacting for real.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beginning notes: As to warning…If you’ve been reading so far you probably know what to expect. Nothing worse than last chapter. Generally, this is slave fic, even if I don’t intend it to be overly brutal.  
> I've finally managed the editing part, I should be easier to read.

Michael sat in his quarters with a letter in his hand. His long-awaited guests had just called off their visit, apologizing profusely for causing inconvenience, yet in nobleman’s eyes it didn’t change anything. He had already all the preparations done and he hated wasting time and resources. Really, people ware so unreliable these days. Who calls off a visit a day before, when everything is already waiting for their arrival. Michael hoped that moving to a more serene neighborhood didn’t necessarily mean a social isolation. He knew that connections can be fickle and are in constant need to be maintained even if he stepped back a bit. Watchfulness should be considered a trait more often that it was. He definitely didn’t gain his position being negligent. Sure, being highborn helped him immensely, but he worked hard, burning midnight oil more often than he would like to admit it. It might have been a major reason he decided to take a deserved break. One way or another, he needed to catch a breath.

He left the room, looking out for Zachariah, to let him know all the tribes are to be returned back to normal. Lord Milton rarely condescended to managing work of the slaves on his own, letting Zachariah take the reins in this particular matters. The overseer worked for Michael’s father and the dark-haired Lord trusted his methods and experience. After all, they worked for years. Lord Milton didn’t deem it necessary to be troubled by such a trivial things as supervising the slavework.

His thoughts came back to the strange scene he had encountered earlier. Was it the same boy who was supposed to be executed a few months ago? Michael wasn’t sure. Anyway, it didn’t make any difference. For him, all the slaves looked mostly the same. As long as they served their purpose, everything was fine.

Michael’s quarters, as it was a fixed tradition, were located on the upper floors of his residence. Slaves weren’t usually allowed up there, only paid, well-trained servants, Lord’s trusted man and women. Michael himself rarely went downstairs, trusting Zachariah’s skills were enough to make this part of household run smoothly.

This time he made an exception and went downstairs to catch overseer as soon as possible to give him all the orders. He almost regretted he visited this part of his mansion so rarely. He positively had no idea where the overseer could have gone after their last talk. Suddenly, he heard some unfamiliar noise. A mixture of angry yells, desperate wails and something swishing through the air hit his ears. Michael strode into the direction of these sounds, half-curious, half-disturbed. He didn’t expect such a commotion in his peaceful abode. The closer he approached, the louder noises became. From afar he recognized the unmistakable voice of his overseer. Michael stopped for a while to make sure it was Zachariah, but his first impression was right. A few servants bowed to him, but he was so lost in thoughts he barely noticed them. He could have sworn he had never heard overseer being so livid. He was always a composed man, devoted to Milton clan, extremely professional, even to a fault. It took a while for brunette to realize the frantic screams have ceased. Silence that followed was somewhat disconcerting. Having bad feelings, Lord Milton rushed again to see what exactly happened. He entered the yard as fast as he could, ignoring the fact that a man of his position shouldn’t run like that, but his effort turned out to be belated anyway.

His first thought was that he had never expected to see overseer so power hungry. It was clear that Zachariah was enjoying this situation way too much, instead of just doing his job dutifully. He was yielding that formidable looking implement in a way suggesting a lot of experience and confidence. The balding man was so engrossed in what he was doing that even Michael’s arrival remained unnoticed. Lord Milton wanted to say something, to protest, to order overseer to halt meting out punishment this instant, but, before he found the words Zachariah unfastened the binds and the slave fell on the ground, like a sack of potatoes.

‘’Zachariah,’’ asked nobleman in low voice. ‘’What’s going on in here?’’

‘’I can assure you, My Lord, this is nothing you should concern yourself with. I’ve dealt with this situation and I swear I’ll do my best to make sure this slave won’t cause more troubles,’’ said overseer, catching his breath, clearly worn out, undiluted surprise on his face caused by a presence of Michael.

Brunette stepped closer, a sickening feeling filling his stomach. Obviously, he had seen a countless atrocities during his military career, but none of them included such an abuse of defenseless victim. The way young slave looked would have broken hearts of even the most insensitive men. He almost bend over to pick the boy up, not caring that blood would surely stain his clothes, but the thought he could make an even worse damage stopped him. Smug smile disappeared from Zachariah face. He expected the young Lord to congratulate him a good work done, but Michael just stood there with a frown, eyes fixed on a limp body of the slave.

‘’He’s a bloodied mess,’’ growled Lord Milton. ‘’You’ve pushed it too far with his punishment. Is that a boy from pantry?’’

‘’Yes, My Lord. As you’ve seen, he doesn’t deserve any pity.’’

‘’Zachariah,’’ he finally said when he raised his head. ’’Get him medical attention.’’

‘’He’s not worth it,’’ answered overseer, missing the fact he just disobeyed the direct order himself.

‘’It’s not your call to make,’’ growled Lord Milton. ‘’I’ll talk to you later about this. Don’t disappoint me again. Stop hurting him, in case it wasn’t clear from what I’ve already said. Have him transported somewhere he can really heal.’’

The older man decided it’s not the best moment to argue.

‘’Where shall I put him?’’ he asked instead.

Michael had to make a decision in a split of the second.

‘’Put him upstairs. And I’ll talk to you later. No, go, before he loses more blood.’’

Awkwardly, overseer none-too-gently picked Adam up and did as he was told, leaving disgusted and shocked Michael alone. Brunette carefully studied red drops already soaking into the soil. Something told him this wasn’t an isolated incident. He really needed to talk more to Zachariah and think about all this. Apparently, he missed quite a lot of happening in his own household.

Adam’s eyes opened with difficulty. He had no idea where he was and how long he was asleep, but he couldn’t have brought himself to care. What stuck his attention was that his surrounding didn’t resemble in any way the dark, wet slavequarters. The room was spacious and bright. The light was probably what woke him up, but until he was allowed to rest, he didn’t see any reason not to. For the first time in years he was lying in a real bed as well and it was so seductively good, even if he was trembling from the fever, drenched in sweat and his back was throbbing, although the sensation lessened in comparison to previous times. He hugged the pillow instinctively. It was pleasantly cold, cooling his heated cheeks. The slave opened his eyes warily. His hand automatically went to his neck. The damned collar was gone. On the nightstand was standing a bottle of water. Was it a ruse? Another excuse for Zachariah to punish him? A test whether he learnt his lesson about not touching Master’s belongings? Is this was the reason he woke in such a fine place? His was laying on his side with his back bandaged. It looked like somebody took care of him, which was borderline impossible, but all around him was just too real to be a dream. Adam’s head was pounding and back was still throbbing, so he decided to think about it later, when he would feel better. He had almost fallen asleep again, when he heard an angry voice in front of the door.

‘’For crying out loud, Zachariah!’’ Somebody, probably Lord Milton, spoke up. ‘’Why did you do it?’’

‘’You’ve ordered me to reprimand him, Sir.’’

‘’To reprimand, not to whip him half to death!’’

‘’What have you expected, Sir?’’

‘’You should have scolded him, or give him a slap on the wrist. Not this!’’

‘’With all due respect, Sir, you’re too lenient with these ruffians. What they need the most is firm hand. They view every mercy as weakness.’’

‘’Nobody will be beaten half to death under my roof!’’

Overseer said something in reply to that, but Adam felt so tired. It was just too hard to stay awake for a second longer. His eyelids became heavy again and closed without a warning.

When the slave woke up again, nothing changed. He was still in this too good for him room and nobody was harassing him. Adam’s mind drifted to the talk he overheard earlier. It looked like Michael didn’t support what his overseer had done. That was quite a surprise. Adam has always been convinced Master at least agreed with Zachariah’s methods, if not ordered them himself. On the other hand, Adam wasn’t even sure the talk even took place. Maybe it was just a very vivid dream produced by his feverish mind. Slap on the wrist? Seriously? Even Adam knew perfectly that was too good to be true. But supposing he had heard correctly, maybe it was time for a wind of change. Maybe. Maybe the pigs would fly. Michael probably just told the overseer a few bitter words and that was it. Nothing would change. Privileged and mighty never cared. Slave’s thoughts drifted to his unknown father for the first time in months. Would he even care that his own flesh and blood was treated in such a way? Maybe he would be glad about it, voicing some clichés about justice, retribution and discipline. Blond mused about this topic for a few more minutes and before he knew, he lapsed into another fever-induced, stormy nap.

Third time Adam woke up, he noticed something changed. For the first time since his Mum’s death somebody was sitting by his bed. It felt so much like home, like long-forgotten dream from the childhood. Safe, warm and blissful. She used to tuck him, read to him, kiss his warm forehead and stroke his hair gently. Good times, ended so abruptly and gone so irrevocably. Somebody’s hand on his forehead brought Adam back to the present. He slowly opened the eyes, blinking. Considering the amount of strange things that occurred in a very short time, he wasn’t even surprised to see Lord Milton sitting by his bed. What was more interesting than his mere presence, was the look of concern on his handsome face.

‘’Don’t stand’’ said Michael quickly.

Adam didn’t even thought about doing so, but he decided to keep it to himself.

‘’As you probably know, I’m your master,’’ explained the older man, biting his lip. ‘’How are you feeling?’’ He asked after a short pause.

‘’I’ve seen better days,’’ answered slave unhappily. ‘’Master,’’ he added after a second.

‘’Well, what Zachariah did to you, was…’’ for a while Michael was looking out for a suitable word. ’’Harsh.’’

Adam almost snickered. Sure as hell it was, but for now, he had more urgent matters to discuss.

‘’My collar, Master?’’ he asked with hoarse voice.

‘’I took it off,’’ explained freeman. ‘’I thought it would be easier for you to breathe.’’

Oh, that was actually considerate. Maybe, just maybe, Lord Milton wasn’t completely focused solely on himself. Adam was extremely curious what was the game he was playing, what he was trying to accomplish and to which extent his motives were pure. First things first. His sore from previous cries and screams throat screamed for a water.

‘’Am I allowed?’’ asked Adam, motioning to the bottle, his throat too dry to even finish the question.

‘’It’s for you.’’ In Michael’s hazel eyes flashed a poorly concealed shock. ‘’You’re very welcome to drink it. I insist on it, in fact. You ought to drink a lot, to lower your fever.’’

Of course. No one wants a sick slave. Sick means unable to work, the only reason of slave’s existence. Master is too kind-hearted to deliver the coup de grâce and replace blond with other unfortunate boy, so obviously he wants Adam back to work as soon as possible. This reasoning actually made sense. To his great surprise, Michael in fact handed him a bottle and helped him to a sitting position.

‘’Careful,’’ he muttered. ‘’I assume you don’t want the wounds to reopen?’’

No, that was the last thing Adam wished for.

‘’Where I am, anyway, Master?’’ he asked, after taking a few sips.

‘’In one of my guestrooms,’’ replied nobleman casually.

Okay, it was weird. Adam knew perfectly well he didn’t belong there, but he wished this moment to last forever. He didn’t remember anybody except his Mum looking at him with such a concern. Like Master really cared. Of course he didn’t, but it was nice to imagine things. Wait, it was what landed him in peril last time, which was probably the same day, only a few hours earlier. Seemed like a lifetime ago. Adam’s thoughts drifted to Nick. His only friend must be worried sick about him. Adam will explain everything to him when he’ll be back in kitchens. This train of thoughts was ceased by brunette speaking again. 

‘’Slave,’’ started Michael, but it quickly came to his mind it sounded unnecessarily harshly. ‘’Boy,’’ he continued. ‘’What’s your name, anyway?’’

‘’Adam, My Lord,’’ replied slave, lying on his side again, looking Master straight in the eyes without much fear. He was through so much recently, that it made him somewhat numb to more emotions.

‘’Adam, the physician said you’re not going to scar. The wounds are shallow, thankfully. You were lucky.’’

The slave sure as hell didn’t consider himself lucky. If these were shallow, he decided that he doesn’t want to know how deeps were inflicted.

‘’I’ve got a befriended doctor,’’ added Michael. ‘’He had a look on you while you were unconscious, but he’ll examine you more thoroughly soon.’’

‘’Great, Master’’ muttered Adam, undertones of sarcasm in his voice. 

Michael reached out to his slave, making the younger man flinch involuntarily, bracing himself for a strike, but Michael only laid his hand gently on Adam’s shoulder.

‘’Rest,’’ he said before leaving. ‘’You surely need it.’’

In his quarters, Zachariah was pacing without a break, worrying over Lord Milton’s words to him. After all, he was just doing his job. Maybe he took it a bit personal, but in the end of the day there was no harm done. The boy survived, right? Michael was a little bit of idealist, but somebody had to do a dirty work. Adam needed a firm hand, so in fact Zachariah acted in his best interest. Lord would understand it with time. He had to.

Lord Milton was lying on his bed, unable to rest, reliving all the events of the day. When he got up in the morning, he certainly didn’t predict the way it proceeded. He still marveled on the fact he got a slave upstairs. It didn’t even sound right, yet something compelled Michael have him brought there and taken care of.

The boy looked so fragile. Michael was astonished he survived the hardships he endured. Lord Milton liked to consider himself firm but fair, yet what was done to this slave wasn’t even close to fairness. He observed the boy while sound asleep, worn out and presumably additionally weakened due to a blood loss. For a while he studied a slender frame, soft hair, slightly flushed cheeks. Adam seemed so innocent, even if Michael known for sure it’s just an illusion, since the blond was a far cry from that. The nobleman promised himself he’ll be a decent master from now on, more mindful with treatment of his slaves, but he couldn’t forget they were criminals. If they received too much sympathy it could only bring adverse effects. Instead of redeeming themselves by working hard to the benefit of their better they would only wallow in self-pity. Overindulgence wasn’t an acceptable option. Work still had to be done, but something had to change. How the things were handled currently must be reformed. It looked like things in Michael’s life were getting complicated again. Hypothetically, he could have just forgotten about what he seen, let Adam heal and sent him back downstairs with little to no explanation, but he knew all too well he just couldn’t.

The Lord tried to convince himself what he did for Adam was a result of basic human decency, but deep inside he knew there was something more to it. This young man wasn’t broken. There was still a spark of resistance in his beautiful eyes. Interesting. Even though Michael never paid much attention to slaves, there was one thing about vast majority of them he noticed. They were submissive, passive, shells of their former selves. Probably the problematic ones were promptly dealt with until the desired effect was achieved. Adam, despite the rough treatment he had received, still had the fire inside him, ready to burn in better circumstances, hidden under this polite demeanor. It sparked an interest in the Lord and even if he wouldn’t admit it aloud, he was curious to see more of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think about first Adam/Michael conversation.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The actions slows down a bit...

Next morning Adam woke up to find a tray with food on the nightstand. He shifted himself to sitting position with difficulty, rubbed his eyes, ran a hand through his sleep-mussed hair and wondered whether it was a ruse. First of all, he must have really been deep in the land of dreams, since his sleep wasn’t in a slightest bit disturbed from having a another person in the room and that wasn’t good news. Circumstances have made the slave a light sleeper. This was one of the reasons he survived so long in this cruel world.

Good food was not to be wasted, so Adam promptly decided to eat. It didn’t actually seem risky, considering the water from yesterday was left for him to drink freely and Michael’s behavior in general. The breakfast was nothing fancy, yet the best meal he had eaten in years. He had savored every bit of it, uncertain when he’ll be served another one. His back was still tender, which was no surprise, as Adam knew form experience healing could take weeks. He moved around carefully, his legs shaky, even though he was generally well-rested after all these hours in bed.

Finally, he had a closer look on his surroundings. His first impression confirmed, the room was indeed highly pleasant to eye. Finely-crafted furniture, a big window, a few pictures in golden frames on the white wall. Adam was far from expert, but is was certain this place subtly suggested it’s owner status without being too flaunt. On one of the armchairs, one the closest to bed was laid a set of fresh clothes in his size. As with food, there was nothing fancy, but the still better than what he was wearing since being orphaned and even often before, even if poor Kate tried her best so that her son wouldn’t see the differences between kids from normal families and him. Adam brushed the soft fabric with his fingers. Since he was going back to bed anyway, he didn’t even try they on. Still, nice gesture from Lord Milton. Reasonable though, if slave was upstairs he had to be presentable. It conveyed a hidden message to a former criminal, indicating his stay in this beautiful room is safe for some time. Quite a relief, even if short-lived. Nervously, Adam wondered how it would be back downstairs, with having all this in mind. He looked out of the window, watching garden slaves watering the plants. Maybe he could ask Master if he would be allowed to join them once he’ll be healed. It seemed like a better option than kitchens. Frankly, almost anything looked like a better option than kitchen.

Adam laid back on the comforter. He really needed to think it over what to make of Master’s behavior. It looked like he had all the time in the world and nothing better to do, so he could focus of Lord Milton. On the one hand, Michael saved him from inevitable death. On the other, he let Zachariah do as he pleased for long before Adam’s arrival and probably if the overseer didn’t go overboard this one time, he still would be tormenting poor souls he was entrusted with. Still, Michael must have had a reason to trust Zachariah. The slave wasn’t sure it was an excuse. He felt his head started to hurt again. With any other master or mistress, it would have been easier to hate them. Michael owned nothing to Adam and he wasn’t obliged by any means to justify his actions towards a mere slave. If he had a whim to have a random slave put in such a luxurious accommodation, it was his right and prerogative. Or maybe Adam was nitpicking and there were no ulterior motives. The young shifted nervously. Of course there were. They had to be. Nothing was easy when it came to those well-born, selfish typed. All in all, whatever was going to happen, whatever were the reasons for Lord doing what he was doing (which was highly unorthodox given any reasoning Adam could have come up with, but he didn’t care), he finally got a lull, regardless what was going to be next. The slave had learnt not to worry about what the future would bring, since he couldn’t be sure about today.

He didn’t know how long he stayed lost in his own thoughts. It was a foreign feeling, laying down, completely idle. Back in the streets, he had to be on his toes all the time, even at night, or maybe in the nighttime especially. He learnt to sleep with one eye open all the time. Now, he honestly didn’t know what to do with himself, being left to his own devices.

It was probably midday until Lord Milton reappeared, looking somewhat stern. Next to him stood a man who Adam presumed (as it turned out, correctly) to be a doctor. 

‘’Adam,’’ asked Michael. ’’I assume you ate your breakfast?’’

So it was a test after all. In another way the slave suspected it would be, yet still a test.

‘’I did, Master,’’ he confirmed, glancing at the Lord trying to read something from his face, yet Michaels features remained adamant. ‘’Good,’’ was the only answer the boy received.

‘’So, doctor, I guess he’s well enough now to perform whatever treatment you deem appropriate?’’ asked Michael the other man instead. Adam wanted to say that he should be the one giving permission for being examined, but he managed to bit his tongue on time. Still, ‘’whatever treatment’’ didn’t sound the most placatingly.

‘’Except of what I’ve done yesterday, I would suggest an overall examination,’’ proposed the doctor. ‘’Just in case.’’

‘’Let it be,’’ agreed the Lord. ‘’He’s all yours.’’

The slave didn’t made a sound being poked and prodded, despite not being overjoyed about it. At least none of the freeman’s actions hurt and Adam, to his own surprise, found himself relatively relaxed in the end. His wounds were cleaned once more and rewrapped, for which he was immensely grateful.

‘’Okay, generally it’s not bad, as I can tell. Could have been worse,’’ finally concluded the doctor. ‘’I’ll give you more details later, My Lord,’’ he turned round to nobleman, who was sitting quietly in the armchair, observing a whole scene without any comments or interruptions. ‘’One more thing to do,’’ announced the doctor. ‘’Drawing the blood. Since I don’t think we’ve got a nurse on hand, I’ll do it myself.’’ He reached for something in his bag, while the blond paled down a bit.

‘’Adam, are you afraid of needles?’’ asked Michael, noticing the boy looked a bit uneasy. Being a warrior, he always thought this phobia was unreasonable, comparing to the battle cuts. Well, phobias are generally rarely reasonable. One way or another, he knew some people could suffer from fear of needles. Maybe this slave was such a type, even if it seems highly unusual, considering he had survived the whipping, but once more, it wasn’t about whether these fears were grounded.

‘’Nah, I’m fine, Master,’’ replied Adam, his gaze following the doctor. “My Mum was a nurse, I’ve got used to all this medical staff when I was a kid. It just reminded me of her.’’

This was the first time in his thirty-two year old life in Michael’s head materialized the idea slaves have the families as well. He sighed, moved to sit next to Adam and positioned his hands on the boy’s waist, ready to immobilize him if necessary.

‘’It’s all right, I’m holding you,’’ he tried to reassure.

‘’I’ve told you, I’m fine,’’ answered the blond brusquely.

‘’More respect, slave,’’ barked the doctor, finally finding the syringe.

Michael had to admit Adam closed his eyes for a second while the needle came in the contact with his skin, but in general indeed didn’t show any indication of fear or pain. He released the grip on the slave and returned to his previous sitting spot.

‘’I’m done here with treatment, just one more question,’’ said the doctor. ‘’Do you agree to give the boy painkillers, My Lord?’’ asked the doctor.

‘’Of course.’’

He should have thought about it himself.

‘’Oh.’’

The other man sounded rather disconcerted.

‘’Yes?’’ asked Michael impatiently.

‘’I was inclined to ask this question as every doctor, but I didn’t expect a positive answer. Especially after this outburst a moment ago, My Lord.’’

‘’Let’s say I’m in generous mood today,’’ answered the brunette, tilting his head to have a closer look on Adam. He could have sworn slave’s eyes widened in shock after that statement. Obviously, Michael would rather had a more respectful slave, but it would be petty to deny boy painkillers. He’s been through enough already.

‘’As you wish, My Lord,’’ murmured physician and handed Adam two white pills, which young man intercepted and dry swallowed them without even waiting for a water, which made Michael slightly anxious in return. He wouldn’t deny them to the slave once he allowed it. The blond knew it, right? He ordered Adam to rest again (the boy, thankfully, obeyed this time without a word, yet aristocrat could have seen sparks of watchfulness in his eyes) and moved to the other room to talk freely to the doctor.

‘’You’ve said not that bad, right?’’

‘’Yes, not that bad. Could have been worse. He’s obviously pretty malnourished and too skinny, but except his back he hasn’t got any major injuries, as I can tell for now. He’ll be able to work, My Lord, but all in good time. I’m suggesting to let him rest for the time being. Feed him, supply him with plenty of water and other fluids and he should be fine.’’

‘’I will,’’ promised Michael. ‘’No use of him collapsing while performing duties, right?’’

He and the physician exchanged a few more words and the doctor left Michael alone with a prescription. He sent somebody to fill it immediately. He promised himself this kid would be healthy if he had a say in this. Good thing he was healing relatively fast and would apparently come up with this unscratched. Good thing we actually survived in the first place.

The only rule was that the slave can’t be killed either as a result of negligence or purposefully. The only exceptions were serious offences, like attacking free people or if master managed to prove the delinquent was beyond rehabilitation. In reality, nobody cared much about it. Not until there was a massacre made, the abusive masters and mistresses were safe from the public scrutiny and legal consequences. Rehabilitation was a term used extremely loosely and from the lack of specified knowledge what it actually meant derived all the interpretations favorable to masters. If Adam really didn’t make it, Michael wouldn’t probably have problems with coming clean about the whole thing, even if somebody would be asking questions. Michael had all means and resources, maybe even he would be the one sympathized with. An empathetic Lord, who rescued a young, troubled criminal and in thanks he got only complications. World is a hard place for idealists.

For a next couple of days Adam was indeed recovering. He had never gotten an order so easy to obey. In fact, he did as he was told almost cheerfully. Luckily, there was a bathroom attached to the room in which the slave was currently residing, so he didn’t have to strain himself while answering the calls of nature. When he finally felt good enough to spend more time out of the bed (lying flat wasn’t the most fascinating activity), he indulged himself with lukewarm bath. He didn’t ask for a permission to use hot water, presuming he wouldn’t get it either way. It was his first possibility to do it and maybe the last, so he jumped at the chance. He helped himself generously with soap and shampoo, both probably intended for freemen to use, but he chose to ignore this detail and enjoyed himself in the bath full of water with bubbles.

What Adam found the most surprising and funny in the same time, was the simple fact his meals were delivered by servants, who were obviously a whole lot higher than him in this social ladder thing. Some of them glanced at him curiously, while other ignored his existence as much as they could. Adam’s favorite was a ginger head woman a few years older than him, named Charlie. She was also the most talkative as well, the real source of information, quite an entertainment in these dull times. She didn’t mind chattering with him when she had a while and never behaved in the way that suggested she viewed herself above him. In fact, she marveled on his strength, adoring on how brave he must have been to withstand people who had power over him. He had sworn to himself never let her know how petrified he used to be while doing so. He also wondered whether somebody sent her to him to make him reveal his secrets and find another reason to throw him in the pit, but for one thing, nobody would care so much about him and for a second, she was just too enthusiastic to fake it.

The same evening Adam took his time with leisurely bath Lord Michael appeared in person to check on him. The slave was already napping, but the door being opened made him fully alert again. Brunette sat down without any greeting next to younger’s man bed and came straight to the point.

‘’Adam, I’ve been informed you’ve been bathing in hot water.’’

Master’s been informed. Of course someone was subtly keeping eye of the slave. It was foolish of Adam to think he was left to his own devices. His whole body tensed involuntarily.

‘’I’m sorry, Master?’’ he tried, hoping with would be enough to placate the Lord. He definitely wasn’t asking for a punishment as a good slave would. He had never been a good slave and didn’t see any reason why this should change.

‘’You don’t really mean it,’’ replied Lord bitterly.

‘’Well, truth be told, I don’t think me using a hot water once did such a damage to your finances,’’ answered Adam without a trace of remorse. He might be truthful with this, apparently, since his efforts to look and sound apologetic weren’t good enough.

‘’Your wounds could have reopened,’’ informed him Michael curtly.

‘’It wasn’t actually hot. More like lukewarm,’’ defended himself Adam, noting that Master might have had a point. Wait, when did he started to think about this man as his master? Nod good, Milligan, not good. It might be golden cage slavery, but still slavery and he vowed not to crumble.

Lord’s gaze didn’t soften a bit.

‘’You can’t punish me for things like that,’’ thought somewhat panicked slave.

‘’I can, but I won’t,’’ answered Michael, making the blond realize he had said these words aloud. ‘’Listen, don’t do it again,’’ said the Lord, his gaze suddenly very tired. ‘’Be mindful, for crying out loud. Don’t sabotage the efforts of everybody who are doing their best to nurse you back to health. I have neither time or intend of mollycoddling you. So, refrain from such actions in the future and goodnight.’’

Saying no more, Lord stood up and left the room gracefully, leaving Adam alone with his thoughts only to keep him company. He decided that Lord Milton is not to be trusted. He was tired of guessing the other man’s motives, but in the end of the day, it didn’t matter anyway. He still had too much power over the blond and this was sufficient reason to stay alert. Still, Lord Milton was a walking mystery, which made Adam wonder how much freedom ( _hah, freedom_ ) was he really allowed and how long this honeymoon time would last. Of course it was walking on thin ice, but he just couldn’t stop himself from doing so.

Michael returned to his own quarters rather angry. He had a tiring day and his little talk with the boy didn’t make his mood any better. In fact, it was quite the contrary. The way Adam looked at him after innocent question about a bath, as if bracing himself for a confrontation, while Michael was simply concerned for his well-being. This blue-eyed ruffian. Hadn’t Michael been all but kind to him? He was probably too lenient so far, like trying to make for Zachariah’s mishap. Zachariah. He needed to talk to the man as well. It took too long, but Lord Milton had other duties. Luckily, no harm done. He’ll get things straight and he wouldn’t be troubled anymore by this slavery problem that arose so unexpectedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michael’s patience is running pretty thin. Nobody said interacting with Adam was easy, did they?  
> 


	6. Chapter 6

The next day Michael finally decided to set things straight. Luckily, he got more free time again to do as he pleased, as things were running rather smoothly without his constant supervision. He also noted with quite a relief that political matters are suspiciously quiet for the time being. Lord Milton wasn’t certain whether it’s a calm before the storm or maybe, hopefully, the times of well-deserved peace eventually came, after the turbulent events in which Michael took part in person. Great. No use to postpone his own plans. His major wish was returning to the state of balance in his own home. A small voice in brunette’s head suggested maybe he was afraid to confront Adam once more, but he firmly dismissed such an absurd thought. Of course he wasn’t afraid of anything, let alone a skinny criminal. He was the one in charge in here, as he’s always been. It was ridiculous to even suspect he might feel anxious about something like that. The fact he was stressed somehow indicated the whole slave mess affected him more than it should have in the first place and needs to be sorted out urgently. He waltzed into Adam’s room ( _guest room, he corrected himself_ ) without knocking. The boy had at least a little decency to change the position from lying on his stomach to sitting.

‘’Hello?’’ he asked.

Cheeky brat.

‘’Morning,’’ answered Michael with dignity. ‘’I assume you managed to stay out of troubles through the night?’’

‘’Miraculously, yes, Master,’’ snapped Adam in response.

Perfect. Here it came again. Apparently something called gratitude was a foreign concept for this hostile being.

‘’Mind your words,’’ he scowled.

Adam shrugged indifferently.

‘’Well, you’re suggesting me I might have done something wrong and probably on purpose. It wasn’t the nicest thing, you know?’’

‘’I’m so sorry about being concern with what’s going on under my own roof,’’ replied Michael, frowning.

Adam’s blue eyes got on fire. He stared straight into Lord’s hazel ones, showing no indication of fear or trepidation.

‘’You weren’t so concern not so long ago. What’s the matter? You suddenly got scared no slaves would be fit enough to work?’’

‘’I’m doing you a favor, keeping you here, you know. You don’t deserve it. You can at least try to show me some gratitude, boy,’’ snarled Michael.

‘’It’s not like I’ve wanted to be here in the first place. Not like I’ve asked to be abandoned in the streets being barely a teenager, with only person to count on being myself, enslaved, humiliated, half-starved and whipped,’’ answered Adam with oddly tired tone, sounding much older than his twentysomething.

Michael sat there, first time in his life finding himself at the loss of words. He never had problems with voicing his opinions, conversed without much effort with King and other nobles and always knew what to say. It was really unexpected that he suddenly couldn’t find the words to talk to young man sitting next to him. Adam was a slave, a thief, criminal who led a reprehensible life and probably still would if he hadn’t been caught. He was so much beneath Michael that it was even hard to imagine. Still, Lord Milton didn’t know how to steer this conversation to make things better.

‘’I know you don’t like me,’’ he finally said. ‘’I know I didn’t give you any reason to like me.’’

‘’Well, you’re not that bad,’’ answered blond. ‘’Master,’’ he added after a moment later with a slight grin. His tone was borderline disrespectful, but the brunette was too curious to nip it in the bud. He really shouldn’t be so fascinated by a lowly slave.

‘’Not many people would dare to talk to me like that.’’

Brunette’s voice carried a warning, but Adam just shrugged.

‘’Good thing I am not the person, than. I’m a property.’’

‘’Rather insolent property,’’ noticed Michael, secretly admiring this spirit. ‘’You weren’t so haughty when I first met you. Back in Windom, remember?’’

Adam’s face fell, making Lord Milton realize it was a low blow. Of course he was petrified. Who wouldn’t have been in his place. He opened his mouth to tell the boy he was safe, but in this very same moment he understood this wasn’t exactly true and he wasn’t so cruel to give Adam a false hope.

‘’Your life is safe,’’ he finally said, assuming it was enough to reassure the slave.

‘’Master, why do you care?’’ asked Adam hesitantly, sounding somewhat subdued. Quite a shift form a previous defiance.

‘’Care to elaborate?’’ prompted genuinely surprised Michael.

‘’You’re taking your time to come here. You’ve even called a doctor.’’

Adam stopped talking, but these two simple sentences were enough for Michael to grasp what was going on in his head. Slaves should be unnoticed, shadows who are there, but they aren’t really noticed. A good slave is the one master almost doesn’t notice he has and definitely not the one who is either time consuming or expensive comparing to benefits.

‘’You’ve got hurt because I wasn’t precise enough,’’ he finally told the blond. ‘’It makes me feel responsible for you.’’

‘’There are so many slaves in here,’’ carried on Adam. ‘’Why me?’’

‘’Guess you must be lucky.’’

‘’You’ve got a strange definition of luck, Master.’’

There was an uncomfortable silence after this statement.

‘’It wasn’t first time you’ve got whipped, didn’t you?’’ finally carried on the Lord.

‘’No, it wasn’t,’’ answered evenly the slave. ‘’It’s a common punishment, after all.’’

‘’I guess there were also,’’ Michael swallowed the gulp in his throat. ‘’Other punishments?’’

‘’They were,’’ replied Adam with the same voice. ‘’Your overseer can be more imaginative you probably ever suspected him to be. He doesn’t Iook like that, does he? I thought you knew, about everything. I thought you approve, Master.’’

‘’Let’s say I wasn’t interested. Never spared much thought. Well, you have to be disciplined somehow.’’

‘’Of course.’’

The former criminal sounded resigned. Michael furrowed his brow.

‘’You wish to tell me something more?’’ He asked expectantly.

‘’It was foolish of me to think that maybe something will change. It’s not only about me, okay? I might have had a really bad experience with Zachariah, but I’m not the only one to suffer this fate. Do you ever thought, how it is to be left on a mercy of somebody like that? Somebody who isn’t even supervised in any way? Okay, I might be bad, I might be rebellious, I get it, people like me, the ones I’ve been working alongside in your kitchen, we did things you all detest, you thrive on the concept of justice, saying this is what we deserve, but trust me, we do not. You wish to see us punished, crumbled, taught better, fine, I see your standpoint, but letting your overseer do as he wished without any rules, this is not justice. I’ve got enslaved because I broke the rules, right? I know it’s different from where you’re standing, but you believe me, I’ve never wanted to do it in the first place. And Zachariah, he not only broke the rules, but also did it willingly and happily, let me add.’’

Adam flinched when Michael touched him, but the older man just rubbed his forearm in a way that was probably supposed to be comforting. Well, it was. Soft touch wasn’t something he was granted very often and he involuntarily leaned into it.

‘’This is interesting, Adam,’’ said nobleman eventually. ‘’This is different from what I’ve been always told.’’

The slave chuckled humorlessly.

‘’I’ve suspected so.’’

‘’You’re a free spirit, aren’t you?’’ asked Michael with faint smile. The tense atmosphere accumulating through the days was finally letting up.

‘’I think you already know the answer,’’ muttered the slave.

‘’Listen, I’m not your enemy, okay? Just play by the rules and everything is going to be fine,’’ promised brunette and left, but not before giving Adam one final pat on the back.

This was not how he planned with encounter, but hey, he liked to view himself as open-minded. This talk was, well, enlightening. Maybe he could turn a blind to some _(not all!)_ of Adam’s manners, since at least he got a honest word, a rare occurrence since a quite a long time, especially since he become rich and influential. Richer and more influential than he was at the start, anyway.

Zachariah turned up on time.

‘’You wished to see me, My Lord?’’

This wasn’t an easy call to make for Michael. Not after all these years of service. He knew perfectly how devoted Zachariah was to the Miltons, especially to Michael himself, despite all his flaws. But he owed this to Adam and he owed this to himself if he was ever to look at himself in the mirror again. However, he let the slave tell him his side of the story. He should at least allow the faithful overseer do the same, before the final verdict was reached.

‘’Yes, Zachariah,’’ said the Lord solemnly. ‘’Please, sit down. We have matters to discuss.’’

The flicker of hope flashed on the overseer’s face, indicating that despite Michael’s grave tone he must have assumed he was back into his good graces. Otherwise his entire composure remained stoic as usual. For a while young aristocrat wondered how come he was so blind to not to realize what kind of man Zachariah was during all this time.

‘’The thing is, I’ve been spending quite a lot of time recently thinking about how you manage slavework.’’

Michael decided to tread carefully for the time being, in order not to accidentally abstain Zachariah from revealing his true preferences.

Overseer instantly became worried by these words.

‘’I can assure you, My Lord, management of tasks is more than fine. Of course, if you wish to change anything, I’m just your humble servant.’’

The Lord raised his hand, signalizing overseer to halt.

‘’It’s not a work management that worries me the most. I might have not be precise enough with my wording. I am concerned about your treatment of slaves. Are you absolutely sure there’s no room for improvement?’’

‘’My Lord, you know these lowly creatures learn slowly, but I’m doing what I can.’’

‘’Zachariah, I’m afraid we don’t understand one another. I’m asking if you think there’s a room for improvement for you.’’

‘’Oh, My Lord, there’s always a room for improvement. I’m very far from perfect,’’ said humbly overseer, but Michael didn’t have any problems to see through this façade this time. Suddenly, during a few recent days, everything concerning that issue suddenly became very clear to him.

‘’What exactly do you wish to change in your treatment of slaves?’’ he asked directly. It was still early, but he was so done with everything. At least conversation with Adam went fairly smoothly despite the bumpy start.

‘’My Lord, I have every reason to believe that in this very department everything is going good.’’

‘’Good?’’ nobleman raised his brow expectantly, signaling subtly he expected more information.

‘’It’s hard to control every little detail. I’ve got people to help me with that, but I’m still trying to cover as much as I could personally.’’

‘’I’ve noticed that,’’ answered Michael, rubbing his eyes. His mind drifted to his late father. What would he do in this situation. However, former Lord Milton has sadly passed and his oldest son is there to make calls, even if Father wouldn’t appreciate them, because there’s something called responsibility. ‘’Okay, I’ll be straight on this. I’m not exactly convinced you’re doing the right thing.’’

‘’Please don’t let this one incident cloud your judgment, My Lord,’’ said Zachariah, guessing correctly what had exactly changed the approach of nobleman.

‘’This one incident was very thought-provoking, actually,’’ answered Michael, tapping his fingers on the desk. ‘’Do you regret it? You treated that kid harshly, not only that whipping, but overall.’’

‘’You must have noticed by now, My Lord, the boy isn’t an epitome of good manners.’’

‘’Still didn’t deserve it. Did you even try with more lenient methods?’’

Silence was the only answer Lord Milton got and it was more than enough.

‘’It’s not only about him,’’ he added after a while. ‘’This is a bigger problem. You know that. Maybe it’s my fault as well, as I’ve entrusted you with too much power.’’

‘’Please, don’t blame yourself, My Lord. I’m taking full responsibility for my actions.’’

‘’I’m glad to hear that. At least now I’ve got everything clear. I had doubts, but now everything is clear. I’m sorry, Zachariah. This is a goodbye.’’

‘’Goodbye?’’ repeated evidently shell-shocked overseer, for a moment losing his dignified composure, staring at Michael with his mouth widely agape.

‘’You’ve heard correctly. I wish you luck with finding another job.’’

It took the older man a few seconds to process the news. Finally, he uttered to say a few relatively coherent sentences.

‘’Please, My Lord, reconsider this. I’ve been loyal to you and your father earlier for years. I’ve been doing my best, I’ve handled things the best I could.’’

‘’Yet you refuse to change your methods now.’’

‘’You’ve always been content with them, My Lord.’’

‘’Apparently only because I was kept in the dark. I can’t have you abusing your power and my trust, I just can’t.’’

‘’With all due respect, My Lord, you won’t manage it without me.’’

‘’Actually, I have quite a few candidates for your post. Perfectly qualified and experienced. One word and I’ve got a new overseer. You know how it works.’’

The older man knew it, obviously, but he didn’t suspect that system that had always worked in his favor will backfire out of the blue. 

‘’If there’s any consolation for you, it wasn’t an easy call to make.’’

‘’My Lord, I’ll be straight on this. You’ll regret this move. You won’t find anybody so trustworthy as me. You think you might be kind to this bunch, but kindness doesn’t work. You, a soldier, a leader, should know that.’’

‘’Zachariah, please don’t make it harder than it’s already is.’’

‘’My Lord, you’re not the one who’s losing basically everything.’’

‘’Your own stubbornness has brought you to this point. You’re the only one to blame.’’

‘’I can’t believe you take over a word of criminal over mine.’’

‘’Well, let me tell me what he told me is pretty much compatible with your words. I’ll give you time to find another place to live, but I expect you to be reasonably quick with that.’’

Zachariah stood up and bowed stiffly.

‘’My Lord, I’m just hoping one day you’ll understand you’ve got all this wrong. I’ll be always ready to happily come back into your service.’’

‘’This is not going to happen, but I appreciate your loyalty.’’

When Zachariah had finally left, Michael wasn’t sure he was more relieved it’s over or hesitant about making a right decision. Anyway, it was already too late. All Miltons were too proud to admit they made a mistake. Zachariah wasn’t coming back into his good graces. Not now, not ever. The Lord wondered whether his just-fired overseer had ever seen him as a real head of the family, as an adult. Probably not. He appreciated Michael’s father, but Michael himself was probably still just a kid in his eyes, despite all his efforts and achievements. Good. Old times were gone, Zachariah vanishing as the last symbol them. It took nobleman a while to realize it, but now he could have seen it clearly- Zachariah never liked Michael just because he was Michael, his own person, but a personification of Milton family. This discovery left a bitter taste to brunette’s mouth. He felt so lonely, surrounded by people whose primary task was to cater his needs. Apparently that was his fate, destined to be a great man, but going through the life solo.

Sentiment-driven, he retreated to the bedroom, where he kept his most valued possession-his mother’s engagement diamond ring. He didn’t care for its market value, but the more fact it belonged to the best person he ever knew was enough for him to view this piece of jewelry special. He opened a drawer where it was supposed to be stored safely, but it turned out to be empty. Michael doubled checked this one again and moved to adjacent, but with no avail. The only thing remaining him of his mother, the priceless family heritage, the one he wished to pass on Jack one day, disappeared without a trace. Young Lord’s breath quickened when he tried to get hold of his frantic thoughts.

Two facts weren’t up to debate: the ring was missing and he had a thief residing on the same floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We say goodbye to Zachariah for now, but we’re not done with him yet. Too good character to waste, he’ll be back.  
> It looks like Adam is in trouble. Is he guilty? Are Michael’s suspicions grounded? Is he going to regret getting rid of Zachariah? Would the answers be given in next instalment? One way to find out.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beginning note: A shorter chapter today…I guess it will be like that, no estimated number of words, just how much I think should be covered in one go. Still, the drama ensures.

The ring was still missing. Michael even called maids to search for it, his most precious possession, but it didn’t change anything. It was as if it just disappeared into the thin air. Nobody who didn’t do it on the daily basis didn’t enter or left the castle, which should have made the whole investigation easier, but only made it more difficult.

There was a growing suspicion on Lord’s side that he knew who was responsible for that. Of course it must have been him. Everybody else were honest, hard-working people, beyond any doubt. Only one option made sense, no matter how much Michael wasn’t fond of it. Well, the only version of reality brunette would have been fond of, was the one there the ring wasn’t stolen.

For some reason the idea of Adam being the one behind this hurt. Michael know it shouldn’t. After all, he knew perfectly who had he let under his roof that fateful day. Adam was a criminal and that wasn’t up the discussion. It was serious, too serious for Michael just to shake his finger. If Adam, despite all the kindness he received from the Lord was really responsible for this theft, Michael had little idea what to make of it. Maybe he was too idealistic. Maybe some people were indeed beyond redemption and trying to change that was a waste of time. Suddenly, brunette felt angry at himself for falling for Adam’s pretty face and soft-spoken words. How could have he been so stupid, letting a commoner trick him like that, play him like the fiddle, preying on his sympathy. In theory Adam was confined to his room, but was he? Doors weren’t locked and there wasn’t any particular servant assigned to have an eye on him. One more person sneaking around the corridors wouldn’t probably draw to much attention and Michael was fairly sure Adam knew how to make it without being noticed. It was a daring move to steal from Lord’s more private area, but the boy didn’t show much fear so far. Maybe he was so corrupted that despite what Michael would like to think there wasn’t hope he would behave at least decently. Brunette almost wanted to cry at his own stupidity. He should have patched the boy and leave him be or at least put him under a constant supervision. The leopard doesn’t change its spots and once a criminal, always a criminal. The worst thing was, the slave had been growing on him, unfortunately, no matter how unhappy Michael was with that. He allowed his personal feelings to influence the voice of reason and now he was paying for it.

On the one hand, he didn’t catch the slave red-handed. He had no tangible evidence it was him. On the other hand, all the evidence suggested rather clearly it was the boy. Of course it must have been Adam. Michael trusted everybody else in his closest service. He wouldn’t have let anyone who he didn’t double-checked first and secondly, even more importantly, none of his servants ever let him down. Okay, there was one thing that acted in Adam’s favor. A silver of doubt, which didn’t allow the Lord to condemn the boy peremptorily. He had already established the slave might have had an opportunity, but he was lacking the motive. Despite his unreasonable lashings out on the hand that fed him, Adam generally struck him as a reasonable man, so stealing just for fun didn’t make sense. Still, wasn’t he already musing about how the slave managed to deceive him? He might have had a partner in crime, no matter how little sense it made. Adam couldn’t predict he would find himself in such an appealing opportunity for a risky but undoubtedly profitable theft, so he couldn’t have planned it beforehand. However, he had all days long to come up with a scheme like that, even if, again, talking somebody into aiding him in this reckless move had little to no sense. Oh, why did he left the boy idle. Of course he had to take advantage of nobleman’s largesse. How Michael could have been so naïve? It was his fault right from the start. All these wrong moves…The thought about losing his famous intuition was downright terrifying. Why in the moment he thought his life finally was going peaceful, something must have happened. Once he was generally content with how things were. Happy even, maybe. His bloody luck.

One way or another, something had to be done. Michael was dead set of getting his hands on whoever was behind this unforgivable deed. He reminded himself he still didn’t have a clear-cut evidence proving Adam innocence. Still, some good, old-fashioned confrontation might have brought some results. Exasperated Lord peeked into the guest bedroom. Despite the early hour the blond was already asleep, looking so innocent and even younger than he was. The doctor warned that the side effects of all the medications the slave still was put on might be increased drowsiness. Adam was curled on the bed, resembling a big cat, surrounded by pillows, covered by a blanket only, snoring lightly. In any other situation, Michael would have find this scene adorable. Even now, despite all his barely concealed wrath, small smile found his way on his lips.

Carefully, Lord Milton stepped back and closed the door. Maybe he was too rush. Maybe all he has to do is wait. He decided to tell a few most trusted servants, Balthazar, Charlie, Becky and Pamela, some of whom already surmised what happened. Obviously, their reaction was easy to predict: horrified gasps, assurances of their undying devotion (Michael didn’t doubt it, but it was still music to his ears), condemnation of whoever dared to commit a crime so horrid, even a few tears from Becky and Pam. Finally, everybody swore to do their best in order to retrieve the stolen item and keep Lord’s apartments secure in the future. Despite the circumstances, Michael felt a thrill of excitement going through his spine. A cat and mouse game has begun.

Obviously, he might have notified the authorities, maybe he even should have, but he was too ashamed something like that happened to him and was dead set on solving the problem on his own. He had a reputation to maintain and being robbed in his own house didn’t help in leaving good impression of reliable man he valued so much.

It didn’t took long. The next afternoon Becky informed him teary-eyed about another missing item or rather items, in this particular case, namely golden coins, disappearing from the living room. Once more, they carried more of sentimental value to young nobleman, but he knew they were extremely valuable. Nobody of course saw or heard nothing, to Michael’s great grief.

He went to check on the slave, silently praying not to lose his composure. At least this time Adam was awake, though still on the bed, lying on his side, shirtless, clad only in his new pyjama pants. Still painfully too thin for Lord’s liking, with all the ribs visible. Aristocrat cursed himself for caring about the boy even now.

‘’Adam, we need to talk,’’ he announced solemnly, not bothering himself with proper greeting.

‘’It’s about the thefts, doesn’t it?’’ asked the young man, sitting up, skipping the pleasantries as well.

‘’How do you know?’’ Lord raised his brow. ‘’I tried to keep it secret.’’

‘’People like to gossip, Master,’’ shrugged the blue-eyed man. ‘’You’re here because you suspect me,’’ he said matter-of-factly.

That was direct. Too direct for Michael’s liking. Apparently Adam didn’t like to beat around the bush.

‘’Did you do it?’’ asked brunette. If the slave wanted to be blunt, he might as well keep this conversation simple. No need to honey coat anything. It would only send the wrong message to the boy, who definitely wasn’t a victim this time.

‘’No, I didn’t,’’ replied Adam. ‘’But I know the odds are against me, Master.’’ The last word was so filled with venom, that Michael almost snapped. He didn’t sign up for this. He expected to be shown at least a basic respect. Usually people offered him more than that and he took it for granted, while this slave far playing with fire. Lord Milton raised his hand to smack boy’s arm, not to cause the real pain, just to remind him to respect his betters, but immediately retreated when Adam closed his eyes in badly concealed mixture of panic and resignation, expecting to be slapped and probably slapped hard.

‘’Watch your tone, boy,’’ said Michael instead. He tried to sound authoritative, but it didn’t come out exactly as planned. ‘’You know damn too well I’ve got every reason to suspect you. If you ask yourself why you’re still here, let me tell you the only reason for that is I still hadn’t caught you in act,’’ he added harshly.

Adam shot him a wounded glance.

‘’Of course it had to end that way,’’ he laughed bitterly. ‘’Of course. Did you even listened what I’ve told you before?’’

‘’Adam, if you confess now, I’m willing to be lenient with you, one last time,’’ offered Michael in softer tone, hoping to obtain a statement and have his family valuables returned to him.

‘’I have nothing to confess,’’ replied Adam, biting his lip in nervousness. This simple gesture only confirmed Lord’s convictions of boy’s guilt.

‘’Fine,’’ he said evenly. ‘’I’ll give you more time to think it over. I’ll see you tomorrow. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll confess.’’

Slave’s lowered lip wobbled slightly, though otherwise his posture remained stoic.

‘’Goodnight,’’ said Michael, voice drained from emotions. This time there were no words or gestures of reassurance before leaving. He really should sent Adam back to the kitchen. Things were getting out of control. The slave, especially that one behaving so poorly, didn’t belong upstairs and he couldn’t stay there forever. After Zachariah had been fired and replaced, Adam was perfectly safe in the kitchen. Michael got too much involved. He tried to be generous and forgiving, but apparently this was the thanks he got.

A few hours later, when almost everybody except a few guards on night shift, he crawled out of the bed only stroll in the direction of Adam’s room. Once he reached the destination, he realized to his great astonishment he wasn’t the only one who had trouble sleeping. In the dead of night, muffled sobs, coming from the other side of the door, could have been easily heard without much effort. The boys was desperate because his schemes were exposed, right? Suddenly Michael felt extremely tired and sleepy. The boy couldn’t have been crying because he was actually innocent, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you notice all that little signs of affection? Michael is falling for Adam without even noticing it.


	8. Chapter 8

This was by far one of the worst nights in Adam’s whole life. He clearly remembered the night Mum passed away, every detail ingrained into his memory, the first night in the streets, the one after particularly bad fight, when everything went horribly awry, night after being caught, night before the his supposed execution, the first night after being enslaved, but this particular one could have certainly competed with those. This time everything was very different, though. He didn’t lost anybody (mostly because he had nobody to lose anymore, quickly dismissing the thought about Nick suggested by his traitorous mind), he had a warm bed with a soft mattress, roof over his head, he was clad in new, comfortable, fitting clothes, his stomach was full and nobody was actively harassing him. Despite all this, the paradise it would be under other circumstances turned out to be hellish experience.

As soon as Charlie told him what happened, he knew he just got promoted the suspect number one. Guilty until proven innocent. It has always been this way. It was sheer naiveté of him to think something would be different, this one time, that he could start afresh. His past would have always define him, making a second chance in life non-existent. 

Something inside of him screamed that Lord Milton had in fact listened, believed in his side of the story. That he actually wanted to make a difference. Apparently the fact he was slightly better than the rest of his class didn’t actually change anything.

Truth be told, Adam had to admit so far he’d been treated with kid gloves. Despite his evident disrespect he wasn’t beaten, manhandled, mistreated or even backhanded. Michael hadn’t punished him by himself or handed over to overseer, resorting only to growling or reprimanding him verbally. Still, now all this will come to an end. The slave didn’t expect the whipping (even if he knew ones who dared to steal from masters were flogged to every inch of their lives or even executed), not with his previous experiences. Master would probably lock him in a dungeon or somewhere equally unpleasant. Lord Milton had that vibes of the man, who is generally rather dignified and calm, but can be really vindictive and harsh to ones who wronged him in any way. Adam seriously worried how would he handle sleeping on the cold stone after being spoilt with warmth and bed. Goodbye good times, and this time it wasn’t even his fault. He knew no matter he said, no matter how fiercely he claimed to be innocent, he was on the lost position.

He was so tired from keeping up with appearances. What would he do for a hug. His stomach made an uncomfortable roll, urge to vomit becoming stronger, harder to resist. He slowly pushed himself in the corner, huddling for a long time, arms wrapped around his legs and forehead resting against his knees, discarded pillows and blanket laying abandoned and forgotten. A miserable picture, indeed, but he couldn’t bring himself to care in this very moment. Finally, he reached for the blanket, in order to shield his shaking form from cold, even if the night was rather warm. He clutched the pillow, buried his head in soft linen. Silent tears filled with grief slowly transformed into desperate wails, but nobody barged into to silence him, nobody dragged him outside.

It was a long night. The horror stories going through Adam’s head were probably worse than whatever Michael had in store for him, but the boy wasn’t thinking reasonably. He was torn between the feverish, brim with fright nightmares and abruptly waking up, only to face even harsher reality. Finally, worn out from trembling and desperate sobbing he managed to peacefully fall asleep when the sun was already rising, filling the whole room with subtle light.

Michael’s nighttime was undoubtedly calmer, yet once he opened his eyes everything came back to him. Maybe notifying the authorities wasn’t such a bad idea…On the other hand, how it would have looked like, like he couldn’t take control his own slave. He was already half-mind to go straight to Adam, shake him up and search every inch of his room when his mind drifted to the miserable sobbing from the previous evening. He decided to hold on a few hours more to see how things would develop through the day. To be honest, he wasn’t even in the best mood to get up and start the new day. However, Michael wasn’t a type who stayed in bed with no good reason and whatever was going on under his own roof counted rather as an excellent reason to keep a watchful eye on his surroundings. Distraught, he rose reluctantly and stepped into the bathroom, absent-mindedly brushed his teeth and splashed his face with cold water, his thoughts circling around the same subject.

He opened the door to the equivalent of the living room, a place he sometimes used to spend time during the day, relaxing, only to spot Balthazar, who was doing something that clearly couldn’t be interpreted in the wrong way. His servant was standing with a small sack next to the chest of drawers, his hand frozen mid-air, clutching a golden figure. Unmistakably, if the aristocrat would have entered the room a few seconds later, he wouldn’t have caught the thief red-handed.

Balthazar. The man of whose dedication and trustworthiness Michael never had a slightest doubt. For some reason this betrayal hurt even more than Zachariah’s lack of remorse. While the former overseer at least had good intentions, Balthazar just took advantage of the trust he received from Lord Milton. No ulterior motives, no mitigating circumstances, nothing to lessen his guilt.

‘’Balthazar,’’ he spoke up in the dead voice. ‘’What do you have to say for yourself?’’

‘’I’m afraid my actions spoke louder than my words, My Lord. No need to explain anything.’’

‘’I can’t believe…I’ve trusted you. This was reckless, indeed. In the broad daylight!’’

‘’How to say it, My Lord, the darkest place is under the candle, doesn’t it?’’

‘’You know what I have to do,’’ said Michael.

‘’Of course. I won’t resist.’’

‘’At least that.’’

Broken-hearted brunette took care of formal side of things, finally notifying the authorities, who promised to retrieve his lost object for him, even if the case turned out to be rather easy and unsurprising in the end. What hurt the most was wounded pride of Michael, who couldn’t stand the thought about making such a failed judgement as he did. After all the urgent matters were dissolved, he was free to make a visit.

Adam was lying on his back, sprawled on the pillows, eyes fixed on the one point of the ceiling.

‘’You came to give me back to Zachariah?’’ He asked, not bothering to take his eyes of the spot, yet a unmistakable trace of worry and resignation in his voice. ‘’With a fruit basket as apology for doubting him and his methods?’’

‘’I fired him,’’ assured Michael, instantly making the fair-haired boy agitated. The slave rolled on his side, looked the Lord straight in the eyes, searching for the confirmation these words weren’t a lie or deceit. Whatever he saw, the verdict must have been positive for the nobleman, because he relaxed visibly.

‘’Why?’’ he only asked, blinking in shock. ‘’Why, Master?’’

‘’I thought you’ll be glad about it,’’ said Michael, not answering the directly.

‘’I am,’’ muttered Adam. ‘’It was just…unexpected. In the end of the day, I would have expected you to value his word over mind.’’

‘’I’ve seen enough, heard enough from both of you.’’

‘’Okay,’’ slave’s body tensed once more. ‘’I’m not confessing to something I didn’t do. I really didn’t do it, honest. Well, I don’t know why I’m even saying that. It doesn’t change anything. You won’t believe me anyway, but that’s the truth, Master.’’

‘’We’ve caught the real thief,’’ replied quickly Michael. "Consider yourself exonarated." 

‘’Oooo,’’ gasped Adam in surprise mixed with relief. ‘’I’m impressed you’ve even tried. Who it was?’’

‘’Somebody who I didn’t expect,’’ admitted Lord Milton.

‘’It usually works that way, Master,’’ replied the slave almost sympathetically. ‘’Otherwise it would be too easy.’’

‘’I’m not exactly proud of the way I’ve got swayed by stereotypes and prejudice,’’ admitted Lord Milton.

‘’I’m afraid I can’t be actually sorry for you, Master. I had an awful night thanks to you. I barely got some sleep.’’

‘’I gave you a benefit of the doubt,’’ defended himself Michael.

‘’Oh, yeah,’’ answered lazily Adam with a half-smile. ‘’What happened with,’’ he made a quotation mark in the air. ‘’Confess if you know what’s good for you?’’

‘’I was in distress,’’ replied the Lord, blushing slightly with embarrassment.

‘’It wasn’t your life on the line,’’ noticed the blond reasonably.

There was only one possible answer to that, even if every word burnt Michael’s throat.

‘’I made a mistake. I’m sorry. I really am, for what’s it worth.’’

‘’Apologies accepted,’’ answered Adam generously. ‘’At least you tried, Master, what can’t be told about your class in general.’’

With every word it became harder and harder for the nobleman to focus on what was said. He let himself be captivated by the color of his irises. Why the bluest eyes he had even seen belonged to a slave?

‘’I trust we can finish this subject,’’ he finally managed to say.

‘’We can,’’ agreed Adam, brushing a strand of loose hair from his forehead.

‘’How are do feeling? I mean, physically?’’ Michael was glad to change the subject.

‘’Fine, I guess. Better than I used to for a quite a long time.’’

‘’You’re fully healed,’’ said brunette, lump in his throat despite the joyful news.

A sad smile flashed on Adam’s boyish face.

‘’So, my little vacation is over? Truth be told, it lasted longer than I’ve expected.’’

Lord’s heart fluttered at this confession. Finally, when he thought it’s all the hopeless case Adam was lowering his defenses. It was hard to blame the boy for now being exactly overjoyed by leaving a rather comfortable place and resuming his daily duties. What’s more, Michael realized, he didn’t want him to leave as well.

‘’You can’t tell I didn’t give you more than enough time,’’ he said, not sure if he was trying to convince the young man or himself.

‘’You did, Master,’’ agreed the slave softly, understanding in his bright eyes.

‘’Actually, you might stay a while longer,’’ proposed brunette.

‘’No need to prolong inevitable,’’ answered Adam neutrally, but Michael caught a hint of sadness in his voice.

‘’Consider this a make-up gift for wrongly suspecting you,’’ he offered.

‘’I thought this subject is closed.’’

‘’It is now.’’

‘’Are you serious?’’ The disbelief was painted all over slave’s face. ‘’Master?’’

‘’Perfectly serious. I’m a terribly serious man. It’s your call. You may stay, you may go. There are no wrong answers in here.’’

Adam let out the breath he was involuntarily holding.

‘’Okay, but let me out of this room. It’s dead boring to just sit here without nothing to occupy my mind.’’

‘’You’re free to move within this floor,’’ promised Michael. His hesitance whether he made a good choice disappeared when the insecurity in blond’s eyes got replaced by pure joy.

‘’Great. Where’s the library?’’

‘’You know how to read?’’ Lord Milton was positively astonished.

‘’Perfect. We manage to converse like a civilized people for five minutes and here you go again.’’

‘’Here I go?’’

‘’You’re insulting me, really. Of course I know how to read. Who do you think I am, a barbarian?’’ There was a brief silence after this question. ‘’Do you?’’

‘’Not anymore.’’

Michael’s expression was unreadable as he spoke the next sentence.

‘’I think there might be more to you that meets an eye, actually.’’

‘’Thanks?’’ Adam was unsure how to react to this unexpected compliment. He anticipated the worst, but apparently things were going better than he assumed.

Lord Milton was about to leave when he stopped in the door and turned to his slave.

‘’Adam?’’

‘’Yes, Master?’’

‘’Second door to the left.’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are Adam and Michael moving on too fast?  
> No, Zachariah couldn’t have been a thief, this would be just too easy. With all his faults, Zachariah is perfectly loyal to Michael.


	9. Chapter 9

For the next couple of days Adam established a kind of routine. He woke up rather early, picked the book from the Michael’s library or finished the one he started the day before, ate his breakfast, then strolled through the corridors, visiting different rooms, always curious to see more, ever if initially he felt too overwhelmed by the size and furnishings of this place. He studied with almost religious reverence the intricate insides, plush carpets and portraits of deceased members of Milton’s clan. If Adam’s presumption was correct, the dark-haired, refined yet kind-looking, strikingly beautiful lady was Michael’s mother. It seemed that the Lord got his good looks mostly from her, except of those big hazel eyes, that were probably his father’s or other family member’s feature. The slave wondered which one of his parents Michael resembles more in character, but due to the fact he barely didn’t see him since their fateful talk, this question remained unanswered.

In the afternoons Adam ate dinner, sometimes on his own, sometimes with Charlie, often helped her with her duties and then resorted to reading once more, this time usually picking up something lighter as a bedtime story.

Nobody paid much attention to him, leaving him be, probably supervising him from afar, but he didn’t have any reason to cause trouble. However, he found it scary how easy it was for to get used to the soft life in a short period of couple of days. His food was delivered to him on a fixed hours, but he did his laundry himself, happy that after times on the constant run he finally had a luxury of clean clothes. He wondered bitterly whether Michael knows how much it means for him, but finally decided he doesn’t really have any reasons to complain. On the one hand, he was spoiled with a huge library, with too many books to read in the lifetime, vast number of which concerned military matters, such a strategy, seemingly Lord’s favorite topic, yet there was still a fair number of ones who interested Adam, especially focused on such a subjects like healing and biology. On the other hand, even the blond couldn’t have been reading without a break all day long, no matter how starved for knowledge he was. He had formed a kind of friendship with Charlie, but she was rather busy too keep him company. He considered sneaking out to visit Nick, to tell him he was fine, feeling rather guilty about leaving him without a word, even if it initially wasn’t his call, but he was just too terrified of the thought of coming back to the kitchen again. After all, he had little to no guarantee he would be let back upstairs. He still didn’t trust Lord Michael to this extent. In fact, he wasn’t sure if he trusted the man at all. Only time would tell if he made the right choices, but for now he didn’t see much harm in sticking to Master’s proposal. He couldn’t have allowed himself to forget how much power the Lord had over him, so all in all he could have just change his mind on the whim, no matter what Adam said or did.

After the fiasco with Zachariah, Michael decided to sometimes take more of a hand-on approach in supervising how things were going in his own mansion. He joined the Head Gardener, Joshua on the walk among the trees, flowers and bushes, trying to focus on what the older man was telling him. Gardening was never Lord’s Milton forte, which didn’t make anything easier. At least Joshua was a gentle, kind-hearted and reliable man, so Michael didn’t expect he would betray his trust as well as Zachariah and Balthazar. Still, after too fresh experiences, he preferred to be safe than sorry, even if it such an innocent activity as agriculture.

‘’Okay,’’ sighs brunette for a countless time since the walk has begun. ‘’I see. No roses in here.’’

‘’This is only my suggestion, My Lord,’’ answered humbly Joshua. ‘’You may do as you wish.’’

‘’I trust your judgement in this department. So, what do you deem fitting in here?’’

‘’I’d say tulips, My Lord.’’

‘’Let it be,’’ agrees Michael without the fight. ‘’What about the bushes?’’

‘’I’d say the gooseberry and blackberry would go along nicely, My Lord. We can plant them in here.’’ Gardener gestured to the general direction of where the other shrubberies grew. Michael didn’t have any idea why it was so, but decided not to dwell on the topic.

‘’Okay,’’ he said hesitantly. ‘’I guess that’s fine.’’

Lord Milton assumed his lack of the knowledge in this field would be the biggest problem he had that day, but he didn’t see one thing coming, namely Adam, strolling confidently through the alley, clutching a book under his arm (as he approached, Michael deciphered judging by the cover it was something herbs-connected, another subject he hadn’t got a faintest idea about), heading into the direction of the lawn chair. He stopped as soon as he laid eyes on Michael, who visibly grimaced, his displeasure obvious.

‘’Come closer,’’ ordered the Lord. The slave obeyed wordlessly and without further delay. ‘’Adam, correct me if I’m wrong, I think, I made myself very clear when it came to where you may go and garden wasn’t on the list of these places,’’ said the aristocrat.

The blond sent him a disarming smile.

‘’I’ve just needed some fresh air. Please, keeping me confined inside it cruel, even for you, especially for you.’’

‘’Adam, I swear, I’ve never had a slave as insufferable as you,’’ started Michael, while Joshua visibly paled at the mention of young man status. ’’I’m going to grey prematurely because of you. You can stay in the garden for now, just tell me next time that you want to go out,’’ he finished remarkably empathetically.

‘’Yes, of course,’’ agreed Adam, astonished as well with how easily Michael let him off and without further delay walked away to the lawn chair, where he positioned himself comfortably, followed by gardener’s sight.

‘’Joshua?’’ Asked Michael. ‘’Joshua?’’ He reaped a bit firmer, bringing the older man back to the reality.

‘’Yes, My Lord?’’

‘’Blackberry. Tell me more.’’

‘’Yes, My Lord,’’ answered gardener meekly.

‘’I’m waiting,’’ reminded him nobleman.

‘’Of course, My Lord. So, I have this project….’’

In the meantime, Adam got completely captivated by the book. He knew perfectly this theme wasn’t the most fascinating for the majority of the people, who he had strange interests since he was a child, maybe because he had to grow up quickly, being raised by a single parent, who worked days and nights to make meets end. He got so engrossed in the text he didn’t even notice somebody approaching until said person stood next to him.

‘’Hi,’’ said the Head Gardener nervously.

‘’Hi?’’ answered Adam hesitantly, reminding himself he has a permission to be there.

‘’Are you really the slave?’’ inquired wide-eyed Joshua.

‘’You’ve heard the Master,’’ answered the blond, flipping the page.

‘’You didn’t call him master,’’ noticed gardener.

‘’I sometimes do,’’ said Adam, closing the book this time. ‘’Okay, ask me all you want. I can see you’re curious.’’

‘’First of all, shouldn’t you stand, if not kneel when you’re talking to a freeman?’’

‘’I think I’ll pass.’’

‘’I don’t mind you sitting, personally. As you’ve guessed, I’m just curious.’’

‘’You’re an unorthodox freeman,’’ commented Adam, relaxing a little.

‘’Maybe. Maybe I’m just too old to fight for domination. I’m happy with my life and I wish you no harm.’’

‘’This is actually nice,’’ replied the slave. _Supposing it’s true,_ he added in his head. Apparently Michael wasn’t the only one who chose to remain careful with others.

‘’First of all, why aren’t you working?’’

‘’I got, well, injured, recently.’’ Adam winced by a mere memory of that day. ‘’Master gave me time to recover. More than necessary, even.’’

‘’This is very generous of him,’’ mused Joshua.

‘’Yes, probably,’’ answered the blond, realizing he actually felt the same. Oh no, he wasn’t falling to the gratitude trap. He hadn’t own nothing to this man.

‘’Still, it looks like you can’t complain,’’ noticed the gardener. ‘’You actually snuck out and the Lord did nothing.’’

‘’As you’ve said, I’m not going to complain. I’ve got access to the books and I’ve pushed the boundaries only to find out that it’s mostly okay, so I’m more than all right with all this.''

The only thing Adam would be fully all right was his freedom, but he kept this thought to himself. Joshua studied him for a long while, his expression unreadable, until he finally spoke up.

‘’It is pretty clear Lord Michael is rather fond of you. I’m just wondering why.’’

‘’I must be special,’’ answered Adam half-teasingly.

‘’Yes, you must be,’’ replied Joshua completely seriously. ‘’He doesn’t have a history of such an indulgence. You basically disrespected his orders and mostly nothing happened. I strongly advise you to refrain from such actions in the future, though. Now, excuse me, but I need to resume my duties.’’

‘’Of course. Some of us have to work so others can enjoy the day, right?’’

‘’Exactly. Have a nice afternoon.’’

‘’Thank you.’’

When Joshua left, Adam caught himself to me rethinking this conversation again and again. This was a strange encounter, but not really unpleasant. Was he really special for some reason he couldn’t fathom? Hard question to answer, but probably no. He had no distinctive features, he wasn’t especially talented or even useful. So many questions and no good answers. Still confused, the slave returned to reading, but for some reason herbs weren’t as fascinating as before.

***

Agent Henriksen found himself in a rather stressful situation. Lord Milton invited him to discuss the security measures in Windom and certainly he couldn’t say no to such a proposal even if he wanted to. Despite his relatively high standing in local community, the said aristocrat was still a few levels above him, so it was quite an honor to cross his threshold. When this day came, Henriksen put on his finest clothes, dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief trying to alleviate the sweat and tried to convince himself that he isn’t consumed by nerves. Not fully, anyway. His usual level-headiness vanished with each stepped closer to Michael’s mansion. He barely remembered even how he got there in the first place. The talk with the aristocrat himself didn’t turned out to be as bad as he expected. After a few words he relaxed himself quite a bit, even though his eyes were still firmly fixed on the expressionless face of the Lord.

He could have expected the question about the methods of lowering the crime rate in the city, he really should, yet it still caught him by surprise.

‘’I can assure you, My Lord, we’re dealing with this ruffians in the strictest way possible to deterrent them from committing wrongdoings,’’ he answered, trying to regain his assertive demeanor.

‘’Figures. I’m not asking you to be overly harsh, I’m asking you to be effective.’’ Lord Milton took a sip of his coffee. ‘’What exactly are you doing?’’

The agent didn’t reply, hesitating for the second. Usually, civilians generally and aristocracy even more viewed harshness and effectiveness as synonyms in regards to fighting with criminal activities, so he didn’t know what to say to placate the Lord. Before he collected his thoughts, the other person burst into the room without knocking.

Since the last time these two saw each other, Adam grown to be more confident, calmer since threat of being executed vanished, looked generally healthier, he slightly put on weight, while still being slim, his cheeks regained some color and he just walked freely into most influential man’s in the neighborhood private apartments. Once the collar went off, neither Michael not Adam brought up the subject of snapping it back on younger’s man neck, so he could have been easily mistaken for a freeman, rather high born, to be added, judging by the easiness he moved around and rather expensive clothing. Despite that, Adam just froze in place for a few seconds, before closing the door and glancing at the guest anxiously.

Henriksen risked speaking first.

‘’I apologize if my question is improper, I would hate to offend such a noble man, but I’m afraid I don’t know who you are, sir.’’

‘’This is my friend, Adam,’’ explained Michael. ‘’He’s doing me an honor of temporarily staying with me.’’

Henriksen stood up and bowed before the slave, hoping he was following the etiquette properly. Michael barely made it not to smile. Finally this dead boring meeting took some other turn.

‘’This is such a pleasure to meet you, My Lord,’’ said the agent dutifully.

Adam decided to play the role that was so unexpectedly thrown on him the best he could.

‘’The pleasure is mine,’’ he replied.

‘’Adam, can you please allow me to finish this meeting? I’ll accompany you later,’’ promised Michael, maneuvering out of this situation.

‘’Of course, Michael,’’ answered the younger man with a broad smile. ‘’Take all the time you want,’’ he added patiently before bidding Henriksen goodbye and wishing them a fruitful meeting.

The nobleman checked on him later that day, finding him unsurprisingly in the library.

‘’I assume your visitor is gone?’’ inquired Adam, looking up from the book.

‘’Yes. What a terrible interlocutor he was. My patience with him was going pretty thing very fast. Anyway, Adam, what I want to tell is that you can’t just run into my private apartments like that.’’

‘’In my defense, you’ve told me I’m free to move within the floor and that’s what I did.’’

‘’Adam, don’t play dumb, because I know you’ve a thinking creature. Remember from now on that I value my privacy.’’

‘’Yes, Master. I’ll knock the next time.’’

‘’Not exactly what I meant, but there’s a progress.’’

‘’Compromise is an art,’’ quoted Adam, glancing at amused nobleman.

‘’I’ve never had to compromise in my life.’’

‘’There’s always a first time.’’

‘’You’ve got the way with words, kid. Since you had no one to teach you, must be natural.’’

‘’It helped me tremendously today, Master.’’

‘’I guess it wasn’t easy for you to run into Henriksen,’’ mused Michael, eyeing the boy sympathetically.

‘’It was terrible,’’ admitted Adam. ‘’I’ve never thought I’ll see this man again. It was like all coming back to me. I’ve thought you’ve called him to give me back, but then you spoke up and it was like the flood of the relief. By the way, I’ve never thanked you properly for saving my life that day.’’

‘’You’re welcome. That is what every moderately decent person would do.’’

‘’I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Master.’’

Michael allowed himself to squeeze lightly blond’s shoulder.

‘’You’re safe. He won’t lay a finger on you. You have my word for that. I would never give you back to him, understand? No matter what happens, I’m not giving up on you. Don’t worry about Henriksen. Anyway, his face when he tried so hard to be polite to you, wasn’t it worth it?’’

‘’It was.’’

‘’You see, Adam? There’s always a silver lining.’’

Yes, maybe there was.


	10. Chapter 10

The dinner was ready and served to Lord Milton with all the honors. The food was excellent, but the silence was deafening. There was nobody to rejoice the meal with Michael, who realized how lonely he got recently. In contrary to capital, full of lights and colors, moving in fast pace, loud, inhabited by people always ready to keep him company, either in more serious matters or just to have a small talk with him, like it was customary in their spheres. Now, after taking a breath and enjoying his solitude, he understood it wasn’t as pleasant as in the beginning. One way or another, he didn’t have another option than dining alone. Or maybe….

‘’Becky, ask Adam if he would like to eat with me today.’’

The boy turned up ten minutes later, looking rather disheveled, his gaze absent, as if he preferred to be somewhere else.

‘’Thank you for deciding to join me,’’ said Michael courteously.

‘’Deciding?’’ Asked the slave. ‘’Becky basically pulled me out the library in the middle of the very fascinating book, saying something about you requesting my immediate presence.’’

‘’This wasn’t my intention, however, since you’re already here, mind joining me at the dinner?’’

‘’On the condition I’ll get my own portion.’’

Corners of Lord’s lips twitched humorously.

‘’It’s been a while since somebody was giving me conditions. To the point, of course you would. I thought it’s obvious. What do you think, that I would just enjoy the food while you’re looking?’’

‘’Nothing is obvious, Master, especially when you’re a slave,’’ answered Adam, sitting on the chair opposite the nobleman, but he relaxed visibly. ‘’Okay. I did nothing this time. I was good. Really.’’

‘’Adam, who said I am accusing you of anything?’’ asked curiously Michael, trying not to smile.

‘’This seemed logical,’’ replied the blond, stabbing the fork into meat that was promptly delivered to him. ‘’This is the best food I’ve had in my life. Gosh, this is too good to be true.’’

‘’Thank you for appreciating my meals, but I don’t see any logic in you misbehaving and me inviting you to the dinner.’’

‘’Why would you want to see me if not because of that, Master?’’ asked Adam matter-of-factly.

‘’You must be thinking very little of me, Adam.’’

‘’Why I am here, then?’’

‘’Have it ever occurred to you that I might have wanted some company?’’

Adam raised his head from the plate.

‘’Actually, no.’’

‘’You might eat a little slower, boy,’’ commented Michael, as the slave gobbled the meal, nearly choking down. ‘’Nobody’s going to take this plate away from you.’’

‘’Firstly, don’t call me boy,’’ replied Adam, slowing down a bit. ‘’Secondly, experience teaches you can never be sure about anything.’’

‘’Under the other circumstances, I would say your alertness is admirable, but right now I think it’s plain sad. Okay, how old are you anyway, kid?’’

‘’Twenty three.’’

‘’I guessed it’s something around that or less. You know, you look rather young.’’

‘’I’ll take it as a compliment, Master.’’

There was a moment of silence before Lord Milton carried on.

‘’I’ve seen you reading something about herbs, if I remember correctly.’’

‘’I’m impressed you remembered. More, I'm impressed you noticed in the first place.’’

‘’Not my area of expertise, so it got me interested what you see in it.’’

‘’You’re a military type of the guy, I assume, Master?’’

‘’You could say that. So, herbology. Are you interested in this subject for a particular reason?’’ 

Adam shrugged indifferently.

‘’I’ve always liked things like this. Do you remember when I’ve mentioned my mum was a nurse? Maybe it runs in the family. I like all that medicine and biology-related stuff.’’

‘’What happened to your mum?’’

‘’She passed from some illness when I was twelve. I don’t even know what was it. Too expensive to cure for sure. She was just getting weaker and weaker with each day and well, she didn’t make it.’’

‘’Oh, Adam, I’m so sorry.’’

The concern is Michael’s voice was genuine, making it obvious he wasn’t faking it as he watched his slave with worried eyes.

‘’I still miss her, even now,’’ confessed the blond, looking down on his plate. ‘’She was the best person. She deserved better.’’

‘’I believe you.’’

‘’Can we not talk about this? Life isn’t fair and what happened had happened.’’

The slave wouldn’t rather elaborate on the subject in front of the other person. He wished he hadn’t brought it in the first place. These were too intimate memories and what’s more, he didn’t want to show weakness in front of his Master.

‘’Of course, Adam,’’ agreed Lord Milton easily. ‘’Coming back to you, let’s call it, area of interest, have you ever considered doing it professionally?’’

‘’You know, tempting me with things I can’t have and never will, it’s a very elaborate form of torture. I’m starting to think this is a backup revenge for doing something you think I shouldn’t.’’

‘’This is ridiculous. If I would have deemed so, I would have told you, instead of wasting my time and energy.’’

‘’Okay,’’ answered slowly the younger man. ‘’Just tell me? That’s all?’’

‘’What do you think is going to happen to you? Boiling in the hot water? Skinning alive?’’

‘’Boiling is usually in the hot water, Master. This is what boiling means,’’ noticed Adam.

Michael stifled the laughter.

‘’Not the point, kid. Anyway, you must have had some plans.’’

‘’Before they changed to day-to-day survival. I actually had, but it doesn’t matter anymore.’’

‘’Humor me.’’

‘’Okay,’’ admitted Adam. ‘’I wanted to be a doctor. I’ve even had a toy set and I was tending all my teddy bears in my makeshift hospital. Happy now, Master?’’

‘’Yes, actually, I am. I’ve had a wooden sword and army of toy soldiers. I’ve spend the long hours playing with them, both on my own and with my brothers. I’ve been a leader every time, of course. No wonder I’ve grown to be a soldier.’’

‘’Good for you, then,’’ replied the blond, swallowing the last piece of his meal. ‘’I’ve always preferred healing to killing.’’

‘’You’re very principal in your opinions. The war is not about the mindless killing spree, you know.’’

‘’It’s not? Sorry, I was under the other impression, but if you say you were knitting friendship bracelets with enemy soldiers and having mixed parties, I’ll have to take your word for that.’’

‘’Adam, this is complicated. We were protecting our borders. Sometimes sacrifices have to be done.’’

‘’Of course,’’ muttered the slave, unconvinced.

‘’You’ll come round, one day. Listen, now we’re done, I have things to do, but you’re welcome to join me at the dinner another time.’’

‘’Oh,’’ gasped a started Adam. ‘’This is actually generous proposal. More than I’ve expected from you, Master.’’

‘’Gosh, kid, don’t tell you have no survival instinct. At least pretend to be respectful towards your master. Can’t you play nice for a few minutes?’’

‘’Flattery never brought me anywhere, Master.’’

‘’I’m not talking about flattery, Adam. Never mind. I’m not angry at you, but I guess it doesn’t make any difference for you anyway.’’

It actually did. Having an angry Lord with the power of life and death over his wasn’t the most appealing option for Adam.

‘’Okay, since we’re good, can we have French fries on the next dinner?’’ He tried to change the subject.

This question seemed to spark an interest in brunette.

‘’What are French fries?’’

‘’Something poor people eat,’’ explained the slave easily. ‘’I can’t believe you don’t know.’’

‘’I rarely mix with commoners.’’

‘’Maybe you should,’’ suggested Adam. ‘’How can you make decisions if you don’t know the background?’’

‘’I’m not a King.’’

‘’You’re influential. Everybody looks up to you. I’m not stupid. You can do what you want and everybody would just obey.’’

‘’Except of you,’’ smiled back Michael softly.

‘’Maybe,’’ replied Adam, smiling as well. ’’The point is, if you take the responsibility, at least take some care of getting to know the background.’’

‘’How does this ordinary person life looks like? Tell me more.’’

‘’I thought you’ve got things to do, Master?’’

‘’They can wait.’’

Adam tilted his head.

‘’There’s no sense in speaking about it. Take me to the town tomorrow and I’ll show you.’’

Michael considered this proposal for a while in silence.

‘’I’m not sure it’s going to work. Me and ordinary life just don’t mix.’’

‘’C’mon, give it a shot. What can happen in the worst case scenario?’’

‘’Many things?’’

‘’Are you afraid, My Lord?’’

‘’Adam…’’ said Michael menacingly.

‘’It’ll be fine,’’ promised the younger man. ‘’Open up for a new experience.’’

‘’Don’t even think of running away tomorrow,’’ warned brunette.

‘’Is this a yes?’’ asked agitated Adam.

‘’It is. Yes, I’ll come with you. But one step out of line and you won’t like the consequences.’’

‘’This is the price I’m willing to pay, Master.’’

‘’It’s settled then. Don’t make me regret this.’’

‘’You won’t.’’

The next morning Adam was awaken by a gentle shake.

‘’Wake up, Ads, it’s getting late,’’ spoke up the familiar voice. The slave blinked in surprise as he saw Lord Milton above him.

‘’You sitting by my bed,’’ he smiled softly, eyes shining with joy Michael never seen in him before. ‘’I think we’ve already made it tradition.’’

‘’Get up and get dressed,’’ he ordered. ‘’You’ve talked me into this escapade, so now face the consequences and be my guide.’’

‘’Are you dissatisfied with my service, My Lord?’’ asked Adam, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

‘’I’ll give you an answer when we’re back,’’ promised Michael, keeping straight face, no matter how hard it was. Slave’s extraordinarily joyful behavior turned out to be contagious.

‘’Only the best for my Master,’’ teased Adam, but nobleman didn’t even mind it. The slave got ready surprisingly fast, impatient to get out, to the world he thought as lost to him forever.

‘’Do you miss it?’’ inquired the Lord, watching the boy hastily putting on his tunic.

''Yes and no,’’ answered the slave. ‘’Let’s say it’s complicated. They’re some things I miss, obviously, like French fries and hamburgers, which I didn’t have a chance to eat often after I lost my home anyway, but there’s a bunch of things I’d rather forget about. By the way, I’m amazed you even have some plain clothes.’’

‘’Maybe there’s more to me that you’ve suspected.’’

‘’I’m starting to accept it’s a possibility.’’

‘’Adam. Respect. Long story short, you’re supposed to show it.’’

‘’Sure.’’

Slave’s tone was nothing short of improper, but Michael let it slide, too curious about the trip. He didn’t wish to attract too much attentions, but feared he might be recognized anyway. At least Adam didn’t look or behave like a slave, so it would spare him unspoken questions why he favors the boy so much. He recalled what his only sister, Raphael, once said about magnetic personality and muses whether Adam is that type. Maybe if he was a high born, Raphael and him would relate to each other, both having a similar, healing-oriented interests, but Michael knew his sister was too proud and obsessed with his social status to lower herself to the level of common slave, even if he apparently didn’t have such a bad origins as the Lord originally suspected. Not that Michael is much different in general. They’ve been all raised in the same fashion, but he always felt the weight of responsibility being the oldest and the one who raised the most hope.

The impatience Adam displayed to go do Windom was rather amusing, considering that what happened last time he was in town wasn’t a happy memory, but this time he was with a powerful protector and Michael wouldn’t let any harm come to him, because for once the boy is his property, and secondly, he is, well, _Adam._

The slave was positively surprisingly as Michael took his hand and helped him into the carriage.

‘’Gentleman,’’ he said politely. ‘’Make yourself comfortable.’’

‘’As you wish, My Lord,’’ winked back the blond.

‘’Don’t push it,’’ warned nobleman, but they both knew these words didn’t carry any real threat. ‘’Where to now?’’

‘’Have you been listening me? French fries. I’ve been waiting long enough.’’

‘’Easy, kid, no need to be in such a rush.’’

‘’Please, It’s been so long.’’

‘’Since you actually said _please,_ okay.’’

‘’Insisting on manners, I see.’’

‘’Good you finally come to this realization. I’ve been repeating that over and over.’’

‘’Apparently I’m a slow learner.’’

Bickering with Adam felt strangely good, coming to him so easily as if it was almost natural. It’s been the first time since he was doing that since his and Lucifer’s ways have parted. He associated it with both of them growing up, being a respectable (in Luce’s case semi-respectable) members of elite, but apparently he still had that in himself. There was quite a real possibility he was going to enjoy this day more than he originally assumed.


	11. Chapter 11

John Winchester was reading a newspaper at the dinner table in his house on suburbs when his elder son’s wife just popped out of nowhere.

‘’Dad,’’ she exclaimed. ‘’You won’t believe who I’ve met in town today.’’

Jo wasn’t exactly the daughter-in-law John wished for, but he grown to like her very much, even more then his younger son’s wife, Sarah, who was a personification of everything he ever dreamt about for his sons. Sarah was daughter of respected gallery owner, intelligent, sensitive, educated and beautiful young woman and while Jo wasn’t born in family with such a position and overall was a bit wild, in the end of the day, John liked her better than Sam’s wife. All in all, he was content both Sam and Dean settled with women who loved them, especially Sam, who had suffered quite a long time after his fist serious girlfriend, Jess, passed away in a tragic accident. What a wonderful life. Soon he’ll find himself surrounded by healthy, beautiful grandchildren, in his picket fence house, with his dear wife Mary beside him. It felt almost like a model family from postcards.

‘’Who did you met, Jo?’’ he asked.

‘’Lord Michael,’’ replied young woman.

‘’What?’’ John put aside the newspaper. ‘’I’ve heard he rarely comes into Windom. Such a pity, really.’’

‘’Well, today he was there. Tried to stay incognito and failed miserably. He was recognized on the spot.’’

‘’I guess fame must be sometimes unkind,’’ smiled John. ‘’You had a lot of luck, Jo, to see him from so close.’’

‘’Actually, Dad, there was more to it,’’ confessed excited Jo. ‘’He wasn’t alone. He had some kind of friend with him, I think and I’ve exchanged a few words with a guy.’’

‘’Jo, it’s wonderful.’’ The eyes of the oldest Winchesters lit up. ‘’How did it happen?’’

‘’I was just standing there, in this crowd, while everybody tried to reach Lord Michael and then this guy just came to me, picked something from the ground and told me he believes it’s mine. It was my bracelet, I didn’t even notice what it clasp was broken and it fell off my arm.’’

‘’I’ve always knew any friend of Lord Michael must be a noble man,’’ beamed John with such a pride as if it was his personal achievement.

‘’We told for a while, a few words in fact. He was very nice. Sarcastic, but nice. He even told me his name. It’s Adam. Adam Milligan,’’ trailed off Jo.

Milligan. This name rang a bell. John was fairy sure he didn’t hear it recently. Maybe some of the old, forgotten aristocratic family? No, this didn’t fit. Young and making fast money? No this didn’t seem right as well. Not only Lord Michael wouldn’t consort with people like that, but also it would be loud about fast fortunes. With sudden terror, John realized why this name was so familiar. Oh dear, sweet Kate. He didn’t thought about her for years. When he first met her, Sam and Dean were about six and ten respectively and John was rather bored and fed up with his life at that moment. Mary was constantly tired and focused on boys, who were loud, full of energy and absorbing. He never intended to leave a family and never viewed Kate as more than treat, escape from daily worries. She was enthusiastic, but also sensitive and his advances must have made an impression on her. They have never talked about it, but it turned out later she believed he would marry her. Of course it was absurd. A true Winchester would never marry such a no name as her. Luckily, she never tried to contact him again after he made it clear he didn’t want to see or hear from her again. John didn’t even know whether she decided to keep a child. She probably did, it wouldn’t be like her to do otherwise. During all this time John never got interested what happened to his son or a daughter. He had basically forgotten someone like Kate appeared in his life all these years ago never had expected to hear name ‘Milligan’ ever again. Definitely not in this circumstances. Of course this Adam Jo had met doesn’t have anything to do with Kate.

‘’Jo, how do you exactly know this Milligan guy was with Lord Michael?’’ he asked anyway, the curiosity taking over.

‘’That was easy. You should have seen the way Michael was looking at him. And when Adam was talking to me, Michael called him and told they were leaving and Adam yelled back he’s coming. In fact, he called him Mike. Can you believe it?’’

‘’Wow, that sounds great, Jo,’’ replied nervously John. What had he heard didn’t help to rule out the nagging thought, that maybe, maybe, Adam was somewhat related to Kate. What maybe he was even…John didn’t want to finish this thought.

‘’How did he look like?’’

‘’Whoa, Dad, you’re really meticulous,’’ giggled Jo. ‘’Blond, lean, fair eyes, pretty young. Younger than Sam, for sure. Really, Dad, it was overwhelming experience and lasted for only a while. I’m not sure about details.’’

‘’Of course, Jo.’’ John tried to smile.

‘’In fact, there was one thing,’’ mused the young woman. ‘’He reminded me of Dean in some way. The general way he looked, maybe the way he talked, maybe there was something about his eyes…I don’t know…Or maybe I’m just saying that because I’m happily newly wed.’’

‘’It must be it, Jo. I’m happy to hear between you and Dean things are fine.’’

‘’Better than fine. Bye, I’m going home to him, he must be missing me already.’’

Jo left as swiftly as she appeared, leaving John alone with unhappy thoughts. Was it even possible that Adam was his son? All the facts were too vogue to rule out this possibility, but also too ambiguous to prove it theory. John almost laughed bitterly. It’s ridiculous he even thought about it. It was surely his guilty conscience reminding him that he cheated on Mary long time ago. Wherever his potential child were right now, it definitely wasn’t with respected aristocrat. In fact, he never considered Kate’s kid his own. He had two perfect sons and that was it.

***

Despite his initial hopes, Lord Milton didn’t find the day enjoyable. Their first stop, diner was bearable, even though Michael couldn’t fathom why Adam was so elated about a simple meal. The nobleman tasted all the foods ordered by his slave, but none of them won his heart or stomach. He kept a high-strung position, expecting to be recognized at every single moment, definitely not having a good time, but at least a big grin plastered on Adam’s face and glee in his eye made it worth an effort. Than the young man took him on the stroll in the park and it was when all hell broke loose. All that people who wanted to talk to him, at first shyly, than gaining more courage, viewing his as an animal in the zoo, what an outrage. To add insult to injury, Adam stepped aside and was watching all this commotion from a safe distance, leaving Michael to himself to deal with the small crowd. Instead of coming to rescue, he chatted casually with a pretty girl. At least he obediently came back when called, even if being called ‘’Mike’’ in public was another blow. In the end, this blue-eyed ruffian had enough gall to suggest him a shopping trip, saying something about ordinary people doing such a things on their own. Lord Milton definitely had enough of mixing with the commoners for one day. He promptly told Adam they’re coming back home. The younger man had that look on his face as if he tried to argue, but something compelled him to stay silent. At least one good thing during that day. Even if Adam wasn’t a slave, Michael still was far above him, being a Lord and trusted man of the King and reacted badly on contradicting his orders, especially on the days like that. He had suffered enough in way too short time only because his own curiosity and Adam’s smooth-talking. The situation he found himself was so embarrassing he would have gladly forget about it. He glanced at his companion, who was sitting calmly with hands folded neatly on his lap, buried in his own thoughts. Despite how their little trip ended up, he wanted to believe Adam had good intentions. In fact Michael was amazed he was still here, when he could have easily bolted taking advantage of the situation. Apparently, he calculated it’s not worth the shot. This conclusion made him calm down a bit and look at his slave more approvingly.

‘’We did what you wished to do. I hope you’re happy now,’’ he spoke at finally.

‘’Are you not? I know it didn’t exactly go as planned, but you’ve learnt something. Experience is priceless.’’

‘’One time was more than enough. I’d rather gain experience from afar.’’

Adam’s lips twitched in badly-concealed amusement.

‘’It’s not the same as hands-on approach.’’

‘’I’ve told you, I have enough. I’m not doing it anymore. Not now, not ever. I’m the Lord and people just can’t come to me. It’s a big no.’’

‘’A mighty Lord can’t handle the situation?’’

‘’I didn’t expect that. Never, even in my worst nightmares I’ve imagined to be in a situation like that. And you, instead of aiding me, just walked away to talk to that woman.’’

‘’I didn’t plan to talk to her, to be precise. It just happened.’’

‘’But you did,’’ replied nobleman accusingly.

‘’Are you jealous about her?’’

‘’Of course not,’’ huffed offended Michael.

‘’Yes, you are. I barely talked to her and you’re already freaking out.’’

‘’I’m trying to have a civil conversation with you, brat. Today was a disaster. I’m never going to let you talk me into another crazy idea like that.’’

‘’C’mon, Mike, it wasn’t crazy. The problem is you. We’ll work on how to handle this.’’

‘’It’s Master to you. ‘’My Lord’’ is perfectly acceptable too. And to the point, me and normal worlds just don’t match. Just accept it, Adam.’’

‘’I’m not going to. You just need to get used to it.’’

Undercurrent of defiance could have been heard in slave’s tone.

‘’You can’t tell me what to do.’’

‘’Yes, I can,’’ pouted the blonde.

‘’You’re still a slave,’’ growled Michael.

‘’And you’re still a stuck up prick,’’ retorted Adam, but the older man could have seen that he was hurt by his remark.

The rest of the journey passed in silence. The brunette could have only guessed what was going on in boy’s head in that moment or in general. Despite the time they spent together Adam was still remarkably hard to read. Quite the opposite to the average slave, who was a simple creature, whose way of thinking and acting was simple, limited to fulfilling basic needs, easy to form, to direct them to serve the master as their main (or maybe even only) purpose in their measly existence.

He absent-mindedly helped Adam out of the carriage and let him vanish in the garden before returning to his own duties. However, to his own shock, his guilty conscience nagged him to find Adam and set things straight. He didn’t like that feeling; it meant Adam has a place it his life, that his presence changes something, that Michael actually cares about how he feels. Of course, in the beginning he focused on the slave being patched up and healed, on the physical aspect, but since that moment something changed and the Lord wasn’t sure if where he was heading. Having little to no control wasn’t something he had to deal with often and to be honest, it freaked him out more than he wanted to admit, even to himself.

The young man wasn’t actually easy to find. Michael wondered whether he came back upstairs, when he finally spotted him lying in the shade on the old tree, on the grass. He must have seen the Lord approaching as he first raised his head and then stood up. The guardedness radiated from every fiber of his being. The nobleman swallowed his pride and spoke up first.

‘’Adam, I want to apologize. I shouldn’t have told you things like I did earlier today.’’

‘’Nah, you were right. I’m just a slave,’’ muttered Adam, avoiding Master’s eyes.

Michael gently grabbed his wrist.

‘’Hey, look at me,’’ he asked, brushing with his free hand one of the dirty blond strands from Adam’s face in surprisingly comforting gesture. ‘’How many slaves do you think I own?’’

The younger man flinched and Lord Milton understood his words were misinterpreted. No matter how strange it was, he actually preferred when the Adam was mouthing off. At least he didn’t look so scared. Seeing a boy like that was rather heartbreaking.

‘’I don’t know,’’ replied the blue-eyed man quietly. ‘’About a hundred?’’

‘’More than that, I believe,’’ Michael corrected gently. ‘’The thing is, how many do you think can call me a stuck up prick? Without facing the consequences anyway?’’

‘’None?’’ tried Adam.

‘’Exactly. And yet you just did it and nothing happened.’’

A faint smile appeared on Adam’s lips.

‘’Did you just let me call you a stuck up prick?’’

‘’You’re calling me names anyway.’’

‘’No, I’m not.’’

‘’Yes, you are.’’

‘’I wouldn’t dare, My Lord.’’

‘’Don’t get it started again, Ads! You insolent brat!’’

‘’Okay, I guess we’re even now.’’

‘’I’m starting to think you like ruffling my feathers.’’

‘’Well…Not intentionally, but it ends like that. Sometimes.’’

‘’Ends like that? Really? Every time?’’

‘’Apparently, you’re the problem.’’

‘’You’re telling me this second time a day.’’

‘’It must be true, than.’’

 _You’re lucky I’ve got a soft spot for you,_ thought Michael, but kept it to himself.

‘’You’re digging your own grave, Ads.’’

‘’I’ll be fine.’’

The nobleman didn’t find a satisfying reply to this simple statement.

‘’Don't push it,'' he warned. ''Let’s go home. It’s terribly sultry in here.’’

‘’I wish it started to rain,’’ agreed Adam. ‘’I barely can’t breathe.’’

‘’As you’ve mentioned a few minutes before, you’re resilient. You’ll survive,’’ noticed Michael mercilessly. ‘’Okay. Home. Now.’’

This time the slave obeyed without a moment of hesitance.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter (as well as following) is rather bittersweet...

Adam didn’t oppose to spending his mealtimes with Michael. The food was delicious and the presence of the other person turned out to be appreciated, especially what the slave had enough opportunities to stay on his own when he preferred so. Lord Milton’s company was surprisingly interesting, as the man was a good, versatile interlocutor and much more open-minded than Adam gave him initially credit for. His attitude visibly changed towards Michael, as he lowered his guards considerably, yet ready to bring them up any second. Still, he sat rather relaxed while sharing the breakfast with his Master, allowing himself to be spoilt with three squares, the memories of the times it was a luxury very fresh in his mind. He was nibbling lazily the sandwich when Michael made a statement.

‘’I’m going to Windom today.’’

Adam’s interest instantly sparked up.

‘’We’re going, I presume?’’

‘’Oh, no. I’m going. Singular form. It’s final,’’ announced the nobleman between the sips of coffee.

‘’C’mon, take me with me. I’ll be good.’’

‘’You’ll be good here,’’ answered unmoved Michael, taking another bite.

It was a sign for Adam to try another tactic. Even if his efforts were remarkable, Lord Milton managed to resist them.

‘’Don’t give me those eyes, Ads!’’ he demanded instead.

‘’Why?’’ asked the blond, tilting his head.

 _Because when you look at me like that I can’t say no to you_. ‘’Just don’t.’’

Adam smiled teasingly, as if he already guessed the real reason. Cheeky little thing. He really got away with things nobody else would have.

‘’No, I’m not taking you with me,’’ carried on Michael. ‘’It’s official business. My position demands I show in the places like that from time to time and talk to people. Carefully chosen people, before you say something. A local elite. I don’t know what I should tell Osiris if he asks about you.’’

Adam’s joyful mood vanished in the second.

‘’Osiris?’’ He asked hesitantly, his voice strangely high-pitched, his eyes suddenly getting big and almost pleading, making the aristocrat instantly confused.

‘’Yes, Osiris. You know him?’’

Slave’s gaze darkened.

‘’Oh, yeah. I’ve met him once before and it was once too much. He’s the one who sentenced me to death.’’

Michael found himself at the loss of words at this revelation, his good mood vanishing instantly as well.

‘’Oh, Ads…I’m so sorry, sunshine,’’ he finally managed to say, pet name slipping like something natural. ‘’I’ve always viewed him as strict, but fair. What he did to you, it wasn’t in a slightest bit fair. You didn’t deserve it,’’ he finished, hoping his voice was soothing, even if something inside of him was boiling.

The slave chuckled humorlessly, regret showing clearly in his eyes.

‘’Since when we get what we deserve, Mike? I’ve pleaded and begged and asked for mercy. I’ve completely fell apart in front of him, but do you think it bothered him in the slightest? It’s so easy to judge others when you don’t fight for survival, when you come back every night to a warm house and a hot meal is waiting for you. I pleaded guilty, there was no use to contradict it and prayed he’ll understand I did all this because I had to, but he didn’t. Of course he didn’t. In his eyes I fell so low, there was no place for me in this world. I know that my life was nothing but miserable, but still I’ve clung to that pathetic will to live. The only comfort was I hoped to see Mum soon, after it’ll be over. Despite this, I knew I wouldn’t face the death gracefully and I didn’t, as you probably remember.’’

Yes, Michael remembered. It was a real stroke of luck he stumbled across the boy that afternoon.

‘’It’s fine,’’ muttered shyly the slave, losing all the interest in his food. ‘’I don’t want to go. I won’t bother you anymore, Master.’’

Picture of petrified Adam crying, all alone, surrounded by foes with not a single sympathetic person, not a defender, not even a shoulder to cry on made Michael’s heart broke. Was Osiris joyful like always when interacting with the Lord? Was he calm, stern and reserved when sentencing Adam?

‘’It’s not fine, Ads,’’ answered the aristocrat firmly. ‘’Tell me more about your trial.’’

‘’It’s not much to be told, actually,’’ said the slave. ‘’It didn’t last long. It was a matter of hours.’’

‘’Hours?’’ Michael rose his brow. ‘’I can’t believe one can make a decision so serious so hastily. I presume you didn’t have a chance to defend yourself? Were any witnesses in your defense called?’’

Adam shook his head no.

‘’The only witness was Henriksen, who was just too happy to finally get his hands on me. He testified how much of a menace I was… I still am, I guess. He didn’t even need to lie. All the facts were against me. Osiris said there’s no need to deliberate in a case so obvious like mine.’’ 

‘’No wonder you don’t trust people in authority,’’ replied Michael, his frustration and anger growing with every word he heard from the boy. ‘’I know that what you’ve done wasn’t right,’’ he carried on, making Adam even more anxious. ‘’But I wouldn’t be quick about condemning you. It’s not like you had much choice, right? It’s not exactly acting under duress, but it’s close enough to form a line of defense.’’

‘’I’ve tried,’’ the former criminal chocked down on his words. ‘’Osiris told me there’s no way of escaping my well-deserved punishment and the word will be better place without me, since I’m not and I’ll never be a productive citizen.’’

A single tear rolled down his tears as he said that, which he instantly wiped with the back of his hand.

‘’I’m sorry,’’ he sniffed. ‘’It was so close, I still can’t believe I managed to escape my fate.’’

‘’It’s completely understandable, Ads,’’ comforted him Michael, viewing him with a geniue concern in his eyes. ‘’You obviously have a potential, I’m glad to have you here and I can’t believe Osiris, the man of thought highly of, was so unjust and cruel. Let me tell you, he prides himself in being a pillar of justice.’’

‘’I’m not lying,’’ replied Adam in steadier tone.

‘’Of course not. It was just quite a revelation to me, you know. It’s a good thing it came up today, it’ll make this encounter worth a while, trust me.’’

‘’Please don’t tell him I’m still alive,’’ pleaded Adam, giving Michael his signature puppy eyes for a second time that morning.

‘’I won’t,’’ promised the Lord. ‘’I’ll be delicate with that matter. If that’s any consolation for you, even if he knew, he can’t now do anything with that.’’

‘’Okay,’’ answered the slave, though it was clear he wasn’t fully convinced.

Michael patted him on the arm before leaving.

‘’Eat your food. No use to starve because of the past events.’’

‘’I still suffer the consequences of these events,’’ noticed Adam reasonably.

‘’You don’t seem to be so suffering to me, in general,’’ countered Lord Milton, bringing the half-smile on Adam’s lips.

‘’I’m enslaved,’’ he pointed out.

‘’Don’t you think it’s preferable to being dead?’’

‘’Lesser of two evils.’’

The blond attempted to take his mind of Osiris and this so-called trial by his usual snarky demeanor, but Michael could have seen through this. It made him even angrier than initially, not at Adam, who was clearly the victim of the circumstances (if he was guilty, his guilt was obviously minor comparing to the system that was supposed to protect him, people who should have given him a helping hand).

‘’I need to go or I’ll be late. He’ll wait, of course, but I don’t like to give him an impression that people in authority bend the rules how they see it fit, even if it’s something so trivial as being on time.’’

It was too hard to tell Adam how he outraged and worried he felt about these revelations. Michael never had his way with the feelings, always finding it difficult to tell the other person about them. Instead he chose the relatively safe topic to finish the conversation. The blond nodded meekly, indicating he was also done with that path down memory lane. Poor thing had suffered too much in his short life already and the Lord didn’t wish to add more to that by reminding him about what he’d been through.

Buried in unhappy thoughts, Michael travelled to the Judge’s place. At first planned to give Osiris the piece of his mind, without obviously revealing the mere fact Adam was alive and even as it was safe to assume, relatively well, but as he had time to compose himself his famous strategist side of brain took over, convincing him to play this game in a more diplomatic way.

It made him sick to see Osiris so relaxed and smug, while something told him that the way that man treated Adam wasn’t an isolated accident. One way to find out if these assumption was true.

They started the talk with usual statistic stuff. The nobleman waited patiently until this part was over to smoothly move to the matters that were crucial to him.

‘’Do you have any questions, My Lord?’’ asked the Judge, believing the meeting was almost over.

‘’Actually, I do,’’ replied Michael in the beat. ‘’In fact, I’ve been looking through a few cases recently and I’ve found some interesting facts. Would you be so kind to explain the details to me?’’

Osiris bowed stiffly.

‘’It’s my pleasure, My Lord.’’

Of course the Judge wasn’t expecting inconvenient questions. Michael never showed much interest in the law-related area, giving the other man every reason to believe that meeting would only be a formality, a duty on Michael side to show his concern about the lower classes wellbeing and the public order, to be reassured the people were protected, everything was going good, no reason to be worried, rather the contrary, the opportunity for Osiris to shine on, to prove himself as a good judge, a concerned citizen. Now Lord Milton was asking, asking only by name, in fact ordering him to talk.

‘’Let’s say,’’ Michael pretended to look for a name as if it was a forgotten one, an important enough not to pay attention to properly remember it. ‘’Milligan. Adam Milligan.’’

‘’Oh,’’ muttered Osiris. ‘’Milligan. I think I remember. Henriksen was quite glad to get rid of the problem.’’

‘’Problem?’’

‘’A little nuisance. Good thing he’s gone. He brought nothing but trouble.’’

 _Of course,_ thought Michael bitterly. _And instead of trying to help him you just…Oh, never mind._

‘’Do you have his case file?’’ he asked.

‘’Probably yes,’’ replied dumfounded Judge. ‘’It’s a relatively fresh case.’’

The nobleman noted with satisfaction that Osiris had a hard time guessing why Michael chose a case so minor comparing to something that he deemed to be significant himself, but the Lord decided not to tell him a word more than necessary. After a prolonged while the other man found a file and handed it to the guest apologizing for the delay. Michael ignored that, focusing on studying the content of the file closely. There wasn’t much inside. Some information were already known to him, some of them weren’t exactly surprising, but the Lord felt like intruding Adam’s privacy anyway. Funny thing, he never had any problems with similar situations, but this time something was different.

_Father unknown._

Michael could have concluded it on his own. Still good to know, however, there was something that interested him more.

_No chance of rehabilitation._

These words were scribbled in fast, sloppy way, suggesting the note was made hastily, without much thought.

The Judge waited patiently, frowning slightly at the meticulousness the aristocrat showed.

Michael finally closed the file, put it back on the table and asked neutrally.

‘’It looks like the boy had been on his own for half of his life.’’

‘’Yes, apparently, if you say so, My Lord. I have quite a few cases like that, I’m not sure about details, they’re all very similar, My Lord.’’

‘’Similar?’’ inquired Lord Milton. ‘’Aren’t you supposed to weigh all the circumstances?’’

Osiris had at least decency to look disconcerted under Michael’s scrutinizing gaze.

‘’There wasn’t much to think about in this case, My Lord.’’

‘’Do you think Adam Milligan would have made other choices if someone had been there for him?’’

The older man seemed to be taken aback by this question.

‘’The boy made his decision. Theft, trespassing and others are wrong objectively.’’

‘’Okay. Tell me, Judge, what if Adam was, let’s say, son of the nobleman, heir to the title, would the verdict still be the same?’’

‘’You’re asking very difficult questions, My Lord,’’ answered Osiris calmly, but Michael could have seen this wasn’t the topic he was even close to comfortable with.

‘’I though it is simple for you, after you told me some things are just objectively right or wrong.’’

‘’My Lord, you know perfectly well that you, aristocracy, have more means to redeem yourself.’’

 _Money can buy a lot,_ mused Michael, his mind wandering for a second to his family’s history as well as the shenanigans of many of his high-born acquaintances.

‘’I would say it’s a bigger dishonor for a nobleman to behave in outrages ways, especially if it isn’t a case of survival for people like us.’’

‘’The boy was bad to the bone,’’ defended himself the Judge. ‘’Nobody missed him, even. It’s not a loss.’’

Osiris finally showing some of his true colors. Not bad, not bad. At least the Lord knew eventually where he was standing.

‘’You sentenced the boy to death,’’ he said glumly.

‘’This is the law,’’ answered the Judge.

‘’This is the law,’’ echoed Michael. ‘’I thought you have some flexibility? I presume this wasn’t decision to be made lightly. Of course you weren’t high-handed or quick in reaching the verdict. I’m sure you took your time to think over all the aspects of the case. ’’

The sarcasm was dripping heavily form the nobleman’s voice. Osiris seemed to be even more flabbergasted than before. 

‘’My Lord, I don’t really get what you want to achieve by this conversation. The justice was served, everything is fine, I have things under control.’’

‘’Of course you don’t understand,’’ scoffed the aristocrat. ‘’Why it doesn’t surprise me? Let me tell you, I thought rather highly of you till this day, but right now I’m sorely disappointed. I guess it’s better now than later. This conversation is over, I’m not wasting more time for trying to get it through your thick skull. Goodbye and start to finally think, for crying out loud. Who made you a Judge anyway?’’

Osiris seriously had no idea why Lord Milton was so livid with him. After all, he was only doing his job.

Michael doubted his (very restraint comparing to the rage he felt and had to stifle) outburst made a lasting impression on the Judge. Probably yes, due to very pragmatic reason of upsetting the Lord, but he was sadly convinced Osiris didn’t see the error of his ways. Sighing angrily, he went to check on Adam.

It took him one glance at the young man to be see he was obviously ill-at-ease. Slave’s head was lowered, as if he has afraid to look at his Master, he was shifting from one foot to the others and fiddling the sleeve of his tunic.

‘’Did you talk to the Judge?’’ he asked in small voice, as if we was being sentenced again.

‘’Yes, I did,’’ replied the Lord evenly, even though his heart was breaking at this miserable sight. He extended his arms and briefly hugged trembling Adam, pulling him close for a few seconds before letting him go.

‘’He really did the number on you, didn’t he?’’ he mused.

‘’He’s fucking terrifying,’’ admitted the slave.

‘’And I’m not?’’

‘’You’re different.’’

‘’I’m the soldier,’’ reminded him the Lord.

‘’He’s the _Judge_ ,’’ whispered the slave accenting the last word as if it explained anything.

Despite the fact Michael had the power over Adam’s life and death, even larger than Osiris, it looked like the boy wasn’t afraid of him or at least was afraid in a much smaller extent. Not a bad revelation, to be honest. Maybe he finally reached the level where the slave started to trust him.

‘’It’ll be all right, he can’t hurt you anymore,’’ comforted the nobleman.

‘’I’m sorry,’’ muttered the blond. ‘’For falling apart like that.’’

‘’Don’t be sorry,’’ answered Michael, gulp growing in his throat. ‘’It’s a miracle you’ve been going on for so long.’’

‘’Nobody would have much tolerance of me letting myself to have a moment of weakness. It was be strong or die.’’

Adam’s tone was heavy, but it was clear he was already feeling better after Master’s reassurances.

‘’Actually, I might know what you mean,’’ confessed aristocrat, even if he had to learn these hard truths in the completely different circumstances and left to write the letter, not wanting to delay thins any further.

The longer these whole thing lasted, Michael felt growing urge to talk this over with somebody he trusted, preferably one of his brothers. The conversation with Osiris was the last straw. Something had to be done. The plan was already forming in brunette’s head, yet he rather had somebody to discuss it with. Lucifer was out of questions for obvious reasons. Michael knew that his only sister, Raphael had a no-nonsense approach when it came to her slaves and servants and liked to keep them on a short leash, so she wasn’t also the greatest choice. Gabriel was too fun-loving and immature to advice Michael on serious matters. One name left. Castiel. The eldest Milton always viewed him as a baby of the family, but surprisingly he might be the most suitable person to talk about the steps Michael wanted to take.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: talk about dubcon sexual activities, emotional abuse, some swearing

Adam was half-sitting and half-lying in the garden, on the lawn chair, in his favorite spot, enjoying the gentle breeze cooling off his face, hiding himself in the shade, reading another book about medicine, fancy sunglasses (unexpected gift from Michael) on his eyes, when he gradually started to feel an overwhelming urge to close his eyes and drowse away for a couple of minutes before diving again into the structure of nervous system. The place was generally quiet, being the secluded corner cloistered by the old trees, left alone by Joshua and the garden slaves, who focused rather on the other parts of the large garden, letting the trees stay mostly as they were, unless lawn moving or some safety precautions had to be taken. Adam rested his head on the thin fabric, put the book aside on the grass and dozed off. It wasn’t long when he felt another person’s presence. He lazily opened his eyes, trying to stifle the yawn, half-expecting Michael, or maybe one of the household servants ordered to fetch him for some reason. The man standing over him was a complete stranger, though. Adam was fairly sure he didn’t know who the guy was and more importantly, why he was eyeing the blond with such a spite. As he wasn’t certain what to do, he decided to play it safe. He pulled himself to a sitting position and asked:

‘’What can I do for you, gentleman?’’

‘’Of course,’’ snickered the man. ‘’You even already talk like these high-class boys. Take my advice, don’t play somebody you aren’t, cause sooner or later you’ll regret it.’’

Playing somebody he wasn’t? He might have indeed involuntarily picked up some of Michael’s way of speaking, but it was his Mum who always told him to be polite. However, she also told him to be assertive and fight for himself.

‘’Who are you?’’ he asked bluntly, seeing the courtesy wasn’t the best way in this circumstances.

‘’My name is Gordon, but it doesn’t mean nothing, does it? I’m just a slave, after all. A garden slave, to be exact.’’

‘’Well, than you should probably be working,’’ suggested the other man. ‘’Before somebody catches you.’’

‘’Joshua is the old fool. He even won’t realize I’m missing. Who do you think you are, giving me orders?’’

‘’Whoa, man, easy, it was just a suggestion,’’ quickly answered Adam, hoping to placate the man, who was bursting with barely held fury for the unknown reason. Or maybe not really unknown, as the young man had a sickening feeling he knew what was all this about.

‘’Actually, I’ve seen you here before, lazing away like one of those snobs, who always looked down on me and don’t know a thing about real life,’’ spat venomously Gordon.

‘’Listen, I get it you had a shitty life, been here, done that, I get it, but don’t vent it out on me.’’

‘’You know nothing,’’ roared the bigger man.

Adam stood up and looked him straight in the eye, in somewhat challenging manner.

‘’I know more than you can imagine. Now, leave me. What have I done to you?’’

‘’Not to me’’ started the other slave menacingly. ‘’I’m just wondering, what you’ve done to that dickhead Lord to spoil you so much, Pet? He’s selfish, vain, egoistic bastard, who turned my life into living hell.’’

Adam found himself more outraged than he expected. The fierce words left his mouth before he even realized that.

‘’Don’t talk ill about Michael!’’

Gordon snickered.

‘’Of course. You’ve got every reason to be grateful to him for giving you an idle life. He really messed with your mind, didn’t he? Or maybe you let him use your pretty mouth? Or maybe you spread your legs for him?’’

Adam stood for a while, mouth agape, shell-shocked, slowly processing what the other man was suggesting.

‘’Michael’s too honorable for that,’’ he finally protested vehemently, geniue passion in his voice.

‘’Michael? Seriously? Not Master? Why doesn’t it surprise me? I wouldn’t have guessed you’re even a slave, but I’ve overheard a conversation between Master and Joshua, concerning you. We all did, in fact. Us, slaves, the lowly ones, not ones like you, are fucking jealous about you here and let me tell you, you’ve got some of us royally pissed by walking here so carefree like a freeman, a nobleman even. As it was your private property when we’re sweating away. People are gossiping, you know. Being a slave doesn’t mean we’re not human any longer, in case you forgot by now. The Lord told Joshua to leave you be. I’ve been watching you since that and let me tell you, you’re disgusting, consorting with a Lord like that. The last thing he is is honorable.’’

‘’I know perfectly well how it is to slave away and you’ve got it perfectly fine here,’’ replied Adam through gritted teeth. ‘’I’ve been working in the kitchen, that’s a real sweatshop, I’ve been starved and whipped.’’

‘’I don’t believe you,’’ growled Gordon. ‘’You’re just mocking me. Stop that this instant. You have no respect to us, who suffer for real.’’

‘’Suit yourself,’’ shrugged the blond. ‘’It’s your problem. You might not believe me, I don’t care, but don’t you dare to speak one more word against Michael.’’

‘’It was funny to see how you defend him, loyal pet concerned only to please his Master. Though, I’m not going to go easy for you. Time to show you you’re no better than rest of you.’’

Adam barely ducked the blow, started by this outburst of anger. Gordon was bigger than him, rather well-muscled and consumed by rage and bitterness because of what he interpreted as injustice. However, the blond knew how to fight and when to flight, priceless knowledge in such a precarious situation, learnt the hard but efficient way. He didn’t do it for months, but old habits die hard and his body reacted automatically, reflexes coming back to him just in time. He dodged another blow, kicked the attacker in the shank and ran off, as Gordon was temporarily incapacitated by a sudden pain and taken by a surprise by the mere fact the innocently-looking, wide-eyed boy had it in himself. Adam ran for life, not stopping until he reached mansion’s front door. Luckily, servants thanks to his frequent courses between the garden and inside didn’t stop him, didn’t ask him any questions as he halted his frantic run, panting heavily. The abandoned book was probably still laying where he left it, but it was for the time being the least of his concerns. He sincerely hoped Gordon wouldn’t bother him anymore. He briefly considered ratting the man to Michael as an option, he decided to keep his tongue behind his teeth in the end and find a long-term solution to deal with the problem on his own. However, he was soon to find out it wasn’t needed as Lord Milton got already alerted by Pamela, who saw the whole incident through the window. Clearly nobleman’s fondness for the young slave wasn’t a closely guarded secret and for some reason Michael haven’t seen it as something problematic. Adam wondered whether this wasn’t making him look weak or something in the eyes of his own servants, but maybe they treated it as a conceit the privileged were entitled to.

‘’It’s a sight for sore eyes,’’ repeated the Lord. ‘’Pamela said it looked serious. I’m so glad you’re all right.’’

‘’She’s exaggerating,’’ answered the slave. ‘’It’s nothing, really. I had it much worse, even under your roof. Hey, I managed to run before the fight even started for good. I know that’s not probably the most dignified thing, but I’m here, unharmed.’’

Michael’s relief suddenly got replaced by an anger.

‘’A fight? Did he attack you? Sorry, but Pam didn’t told me many details.’’

‘’As I’ve said, it’s nothing. Fight is too strong word for that. Nothing you should be concern about, seriously.’’

Adam promised himself not to rat, but on the other hand the proposal to tell everything the Lord was tempting. He resolved not to spill the beans, however, Michael pushed it further.

‘’Who landed the first blow?”

‘’It doesn’t matter,’’ replied the blond stubbornly, yet feeling his will crushing. The Lord obviously had known how to receive answers and Gordon wasn’t exactly the most likable individual.

‘’Adam, who landed the first blow?’’ the aristocrat repeated adamantly.

‘’He did,’’ admitted the blond.

‘’Adam, he tried to hurt you and you don’t want to talk,’’ pointed out the nobleman with a unmistakable sadness and lack of understatement in his voice.

‘’I’m not a rat. He’s a fellow slave. I think I know how he feels. This was an act of despair, really.’’

This was a simple truth for Adam, so obvious that it barely needed explanation, however he had more than enough time to see that Michael viewed the word in a completely different manner. Meeting halfway was quite fun from time to time, but not in that particular moment.

‘’Adam, I know perfectly how important is loyalty, how vital to shield a shield brother, but he is _not_ a shield brother and I can’t stand the thought you aren’t safe, that I can’t guarantee you safety in my own home.’’

Adam tried another approach.

‘’Did he even broke the rule? It’s not like he attacked the freeman. There aren’t rules for attacking another slave.’’

‘’Actually, there are,’’ replied Michael seriously. ‘’This is damaging my property. This is breaking one of the most grievous and fundamental rules.’’

‘’Good to know I’m protected,’’ sneered the younger man.

‘’Don’t be bitter, Ads. I know it doesn’t sound great, but I’m invoking this because I care.’’

‘’I know you do.’’

Hmm, Adam didn’t thought about it before, but it slipped off his tongue like the most obvious thing in the word. Mike did care, right? He had given quite a lot of evidence for this, enough even for careful and skeptical Adam. Why Michael actually _did_ care was the mystery, as nobody except for Mum never cared for the Adam just out of the goodness of one’s heart, but Lord Milton already turned out to be a multi-layered, full of surprises man.

‘’Okay,’’ sighed the said nobleman. ‘’Is there anything else you wish to tell me?’’

‘’Truth be told, I didn’t wish to tell you anything from the beginning.’’

‘’You insufferable, ungrateful, little, oh nevermind…Let me rephrase this question. Is there something I _should_ know?’’

‘’Nothing,’’ lied easily the slave. Whatever Gordon told him about Mike, it wasn’t something the Lord should know. In fact, if one asked Adam, he shouldn’t tell. These were all spiteful lies, a product of overactive imagination of a half-broken, ruined man. No point in repeating them over and upsetting or angering Michael more.

‘’Okay,’’ agreed brunette, eyeing the younger man suspiciously, but saying no more.

‘’May I be excused now?’’ asked Adam, dreaming only about this conversation to end.

‘’Yes,’’ said Mike unhappily. ‘’If something like this repeats, find me immediately. Or feel free to punch them back. I won’t classify it as damaging my property.’’

‘’We’ve got a deal, then,’’ replied the slave, knowing well enough he would probably keep any troubles to himself.

The Lord didn’t push the subject, neither that day, nor later, but what happened had disturbed Adam short-lived peace and gave him food for thought. Despite all the foul words used by Gordon, he pointed out one crucial thing that should have bothered Adam long time ago. He knew it, of course he did, but he conveniently let himself forgot about this simple facts that he got attached-too attached- to Michael and the life that wasn’t real, couldn’t be real. He let himself to live with an illusion, the beautiful dream Mike put him into, probably even without any ill will, but it would be a slave to pay the consequences. It was always that way. Master could have been blissfully unaware, that was his right, but Adam really should have known better. It had to end, as soon as possible. Delaying wouldn’t help, wouldn’t change anything, only make him more miserable, his return downstairs harder. He had to talk to Michael, urgently, because every minute spent in these fake paradise was torture.

Lord Milton was relaxing in his quarters when his favorite slave appeared. Mike’s initial reaction was contentment, but he almost immediately realized something was wrong as Adam was positively pitiful.

‘’Michael, I doubt I can take it for much longer,’’ he confessed, tilting his head, looking the Master straight in the eye with red-rimmed eyes.

Nobleman wanted to correct him about using a proper title, but before he opened his mouth he decided to let it slide and focus on the more important things.

‘’What happened, Ads?’’

The slave remained silent, so the Lord tried again.

‘’Somebody is hurting you?’’

He tried to keep his tone tender, though in fact he was pretty confused. He assumed things were doing good for Adam, especially after he had Gordon handled, yet apparently he missed something.

‘’You are,’’ replied disheartened boy.

That definitely wasn’t something Michael seen coming.

‘’Me?’’ He repeated, double checking if he heard correctly.

‘’Yes, you!’’ Adam’s tone was almost accusing.

‘’I’ve tried to be good to you,’’ replied dumbfounded nobleman.

‘’That’s the problem,’’ cried out the slave. ‘’Pain, this is easy, you can get used to it. Kindness, it’s hard, because it never lasts. You gave me all that things I don’t deserve, allowed me to have some freedom, got me used to all this, but I know you’ll get bored with me sooner or later and I’ll be back downstairs without a warning and this will be a catastrophe for me. You can just do it to me. If I have to go, I’ll rather do it on my own terms.’’

‘’Oh, Adam.’’ Michael’s initial shock gradually got replaced by understanding. ‘’I made you think it’s temporary, right?’’

‘’Well, that’s exactly what you’ve said. Me staying for while longer.’’

Yes, the Lord recalled saying these words. He wished he didn’t say them aloud, now he knew how much suffering he involuntarily brought upon the young man. The last thing he wanted was giving Adam the false hope, but keeping the boy in the dark didn’t also seem fair. He had to say something, to explain the situation, to tell him about his plans, visions.

‘’Adam, for one thing you’re staying with me,’’ he started. That was supposed to be an easy part, since the nobleman didn’t need to ask anybody for a permission, but the slave shot him a disbelieving glance.

‘’We both know it’s impossible.’’

‘’Why?’’

‘’I’m not doing anything productive. I mean, productive for you. I can’t just wander around reading and enjoying myself and occasionally keeping you company.’’

‘’I enjoy your company.’’

The young man fought the urge to bang his head into the wall.

‘’For how long? The novelty will wear off and you’ll sent me back.’’

‘’It’s insulting,’’ frowned brunette. ‘’I’m not a kid to show such a lack of responsibility. Actually, Ads, I’ve got a question for you. The day we were in town…’’

‘’Yes?’’

‘’You had a chance to run away when I was distracted, but you didn’t. Why?’’

That was unexpected. Adam gasped in surprise, trying to find quickly a plausible answer better than _I don’t know. I miss my freedom, but risk was too much. And you’re not that bad, man. It’s pathetic, but I’ve got a place to stay and a food to eat._

‘’I had to much fun watching you squabble,’’ he replied smugly, smiling though the unshed tears. Michael didn’t buy it for a second, but carried on.

‘’I wrote to my youngest brother, Castiel. He wrote me back and should arrive in a couple of days. Cas is a slave rights activist, not a popular political conviction, as you probably know.’’

‘’I didn’t, but it’s not hard to guess,’’ sneered Adam, rolling his eyes, a small smile appearing on his lips.

‘’Ah, welcome back, isn’t that Adam we all love and adore. Up to the point, I wanted to discuss some matters with Castiel. About you, Ads, cause you made me think about things I’ve never paid attention to. Your life doesn’t need to look like that. There might a chance to change something.’’

The aristocrat preferred to keep the message vogue for the time being, before the talk with Castiel. Maybe his plans were too far-fetched even for his enthusiastic youngest brother. The only way to find out was waiting, unfortunately.

To Mike’s great surprise, the slave didn’t show any signs of relief or immense joy.

‘’I don’t want you to do anything for me out of pity. Don’t do it only to make yourself feel better,’’ he said instead.

‘’I’d doing it because you’re worth it,’’ replied the Lord unwaveringly. ‘’What shall I do to you to finally trust my words? Trust me?’’

His voice might have betrayed more despair than he was willing to show, but this might have been what convinced Adam.

‘’Castiel, you say? Okay, we’ll see. It might be fun,’’ he hummed. ‘’I’ll have something to look forward to, but remember, I’m not a charity case.’’

‘’Nobody would dream of you being that,’’ assured Michael. ‘’There’s too much will and fire inside you, kid. Now, stop worrying yourself about irrational fears, cause it’s not going to happen. Let us see what Cas has to offer.’’

‘’He’d better be good.’’

‘’I hope he is too,’’ smiled back the brunette. ‘’Now, if you’re already here, fancy having a cup of tea?’’

‘’Actually, why not,’’ agreed Adam, lounging himself in the armchair. ‘’Green for me. Last days costed me lots of nerves.’’

‘’Gosh, you’re really spoilt. I can’t sent you back now, it would be too cruel. Okay, order whatever you wish, kid.’’

Adam seriously considered throwing a cushion at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Castiel is coming next chapter :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few chapters ago I was asked whether a slave can be freed. Today we're getting an answer.  
> Castiel is one my my favorite characters in canon and I just had to use him here as an ally.

Castiel was rereading the latter from Michael over and over, not believing his own eyes. His oldest brother was the last person he expected to hear from, especially concerning the topic of slavery. For one thing, he and Michael were never close, even as children. The age gap was too great, especially considering Michael had another companions to play with. Cas used to be (and still was) the closest with Gabriel, Gabe always getting him into troubles, but ensuring his childhood was full of adventures and shenanigans. Raphael, being the middle child and only girl, rather stuck on her own, but spent definitely more time than Michael and Luce than with two youngest and Mike and Luce were virtually inseparable as kids. They spent hours playing together, fighting each other with wooden swords and generally having fun reserved for older boys. Cas envied them like crazy, especially as Gabe was interested in everything except fighting and the youngest Milton always wanted to be a soldier, just as Luce and Mike. Before Castiel grow up enough to keep up with them, Michael and Lucifer started to gradually fall apart, each one of them choosing his own path. Mike started to pursue his career in the real army, promoting quickly, making use of his natural talent, pursuing his childhood dream and playing with the baby of the family was the least of his interests. Except all that, Cas wasn’t a comedian himself, but Mike always struck him as an overly serious for his years, overly formal and not really sensitive to others. A perfect, composed, cold-blooded, sensible leader and the lord. He always kept his head up and looked down on commoners. Castiel suspected he felt responsible for their wellbeing, the deeply ingrained sense of duty kicking in, but never considered them thinking creatures, let alone his equals. This was another reason he found himself so startled by the content of the letter. He sincerely hoped this wasn’t an elaborate joke, which purpose was discouraging him from pursuing his actions and abandoning his beliefs. On the one hand, it wasn’t Michal’s style (he always showed great indifference when it came to Castiel’s plans, viewing them rather as a childish whim, a phase that would pass someday on its own, without anybody’s intervention), he could have suspected something like that definitely more from Luce or Gabe, but on the other hand, one could never know. However, despite his doubts, curiosity took over, he wrote back to Michael announcing his arrival and immediately started the journey.

True to his beliefs, Cas didn’t take many servants with him, resorting only to necessities; he never believed quantity is an equivalent of quality and he firmly claimed he was perfectly capable of doing the majority of tasks himself, thank you very much. After his arrival, he dismissed his people and rushed to find Michael on his own. He walked straight into brother’s quarters only to find a young man sprawled comfortably on the armchair, sipping some dark liquid from the glass, a thick book in his hand.

Not surprisingly, at first few seconds Castiel found himself speechless (Michael was terribly possessive about his territory, even as a small kid, he wouldn’t have just let anybody into his rooms), when the realization hit him. There was only one possible solution that made sense, so he risked asking.

‘’Excuse me, but are you Adam?’’

‘’Actually, that happens to be me,’’ answered the blond, putting the book aside and sitting straight, studying the intruder closely.

‘’So you’re real,’’ mused Castiel. ‘’I sincerely thought Michael was pulling my leg.’’

‘’As you can see, I’m perfectly real,’’ replied the boy. ‘’Michael didn’t struck me the most funny guy anyway, to pull out a joke like that.’’

‘’True. Still, I can’t believe my own eyes. Are you really a slave?’’

Castiel’s watchful eyes scrutinized Adam for any sings of slavery, but with no avail. In fact, if he didn’t know better, he could have easily mistaken the blond for a high born.

‘’In the eyes of law, yes.’’

‘’You’re not just a guy who got hired to play the slave?’’ wanted to ensure the nobleman.

Adam snickered.

‘’I wish.’’

‘’Does Michael allow you to drink?’’ inquired Castiel, pouring himself one. This encounter was more than he could take.

Adam shrugged indifferently.

‘’He never said I couldn’t.’’

‘’Good answer,’’ smiled the dark-haired man, taking a swing.

‘’Sorry to break it to you, but that’s just a berry juice.’’

‘’Has to suffice, than. I’m sorry, where are my manners. I don’t think I gave you my name. I’m Castiel, Michael’s brother.’’

‘’Michael told he asked you to come. Nice to meet you, finally.’’

The youngest Milton was genuinely intrigued.

‘’What else did Mike told you?’’

‘’Actually, he was rather vogue about the aim of your visit. He said something about you being quite an idealist.’’

‘’Of course,’’ winced Cas. ‘’He never believed in my mission.’’

‘’Whoa, easy,’’ replied the slave. ‘’This is what I’ve taken. Michael just told me you’re a slave rights activists. If he hadn’t believe in you, would he even contact you?’’

‘’Right. You know, you’re the most unorthodox slave I’ve ever met.’’

‘’I can say you’re the most orthodox Lord I’ve ever met,’’ riposted Adam.

‘’I can see why Michael likes you,’’ spoke up Cas.’’You’re intelligent, you’ve got the spirit, sharp tongue, you’re not afraid to stand for yourself. These are the traits Michael values.’’

‘’Really? If I would get a coin every time he tells me to show more respect, I’d be a rich man.’’

‘’Oh, that sounds more like him. I can’t say I’m not partially relieved. Judging by all the other information I gathered about my brother recently I had a very good reason to assume he was kidnapped and replaced by an imposter. Trust me, improving slaves’ fate was the last thing he was interested in. Forgive my bluntness, but that’s not the Mike I remember.’’

‘’To be honest, I don’t think he cares much about other slaves except me,’’ confessed Adam. ‘’He doesn’t mistreat them on purpose, he just…I don’t know how to say it.’’ The slave made a strange gesture. ‘’He fired an abusive overseer and while I have no freaking idea if the new one is any bit better, at least Michael tried to make a difference. Still, he looks down on them…on us…Nothing surprising…He’s the Lord, after all…’’

The blond usually wasn’t so open with strangers, but something about Castiel made him talk freely.

‘’I’m sure he doesn’t see you as a typical slave,’’ said the nobleman after he was sure Adam was finished with the stream of thoughts.

‘’I’m a lucky pet, yes, I know,’’ replied the boy, coming back to his usual reserved behavior. ‘’I’ve got it shoved down my throat a couple of time. Not by Michael, of course. Let me tell you, golden chains enslave as well.’’

‘’I guess they do,’’ mused the brunette, slightly surprised on Adam’s directness. However, he should have considered himself warned, after the rather descriptive characterization in the letter.

The tense silence got interrupted by the arrival of Michael, who for one thing smiled broadly at Adam before asking him to let him talk to Cas in private and what surprised the guest even more, was the mere fact the slave didn’t look unhappy, high-strung or cornered in Master’s presence. It was rather the opposite. It wasn’t even noon, but Castiel already felt overwhelmed by the events of the day.

‘’I can’t believe you let the slave into your apartment, Michael,’’ blurted out Cas before he could have stopped himself. ‘’It’s just so not like old you. I’m amazed, really. You’re so progressive now.’’

‘’It’s not the usual situation, please don’t get overly excited,’’ replied Mike. ‘’Please sit down. How was the journey, Castiel?’’

‘’Largely uneventful, thank you. I can see you’re enjoying the tranquility of the neighborhood.’’

‘’Not as much as I’ve expected unfortunately. This beautiful region has it’s darker sides. I assume you wish to refresh before we talk?’’ Offered Michael kindly.

‘’Actually, I’m good and really impatient to finally find out what’s on your mind.’’

The elder Milton stood up only to sit down again on a padded chair. Something in his face betrayed his rarely-seen nervousness. He looked out of the window before turning back to the brother and continuing.

‘’As you wish. I’ll be straight to the topic than. What do you think of Adam?’’

‘’He must be interesting enough to win your favor, which we both know isn’t easy.’’

‘’You had a chance to talk to him.’’

‘’He’s intelligent, I can say, quite brave to talk to me like that, without any indication of fear or trepidation. It wasn’t that he was rude or something, he was just talking to me rather freely. I’m impressed.’’

‘’He talks to _me_ like that.’’

‘’If so, I don’t know whether I admire this courage or should I tell him to be more careful. Anyway, this is such a pity he’s the slave, such a potential wasted. He could have gone far if he was free and had enough resources, but we both know it’s not going to happen.’’

‘’I isn’t?’’ asked Michael, but didn’t give Cas time to answer. ‘’Never it mind now, tell me what shall I do with him?’’

‘’You dragged me all the way here just to ask me these question?’’

‘’Not really, but answer, please. I want your unaverred opinion before telling you my own.’’

‘’Fine. When I was reading your latter, I wasn’t sure what to expect.’’

‘’Seriously? I thought I’ve described everything in a great detail.’’

‘’Mike, you aren’t the most sympathetic person in this word and please don’t protest. The see is to believe, however. If Adam so bright, he might take care of something management-oriented. He’ll learn quickly.’’

‘’He’s more into medicine, actually, but up to the point. Do you think he has more to himself than everybody thinks?’’

‘’Of course he does. And a lot of bad luck, I presume. Don’t let him waste away in the kitchens. Nobody deserves to be thought what he’d been through.’’

‘’I would disagree, but it doesn’t matter right now. Adam is, uhm, special to me. I’ve been talking with him and we’ve been spending some time together and what he said to me and what I saw has opened my eyes.’’

‘’It looks like he managed to drill more into your head in months than I did in years. Good for him.’’

Michael winced.

‘’I’m not a mindless creature to have something drilled.’’

Of course. Still an epitome of pride. Some traits never change.

‘’You’re still very touchy when it comes to yourself,’’ pointed out Castiel, which brought him a stormy glare from his brother.

‘’Can you set our differences aside for a while?’’

‘’Sure,’’ replied Cas. ‘’Can you finally tell me what’s exactly the problem?’’

‘’I hope you’ll spent more time with Adam and assess the situation on your own, but I can imagine you don’t want to be kept in the dark a minute longer. The system is fundamentally flawed, brother. It is commonly held it is about rehabilitation, but is that the truth?’’

Castiel was positively startled. After he basically lost hope to engage Michael into his fight, a miracle happened. A miracle with a name and a face, apparently.

‘’Of course it isn’t,’’ he replied. I can’t believe you’ve finally seen that.’’

‘’Well, I’ve never thought much about that.’’

Typical Michael, but finally, finally there was a silver lining. Michael could achieve much more than Castiel ever could, being the King’s favorite and everything.

‘’The thing is, this is no rehabilitation in how the slave work is managed today. There is no rehabilitation, because there is just work from the dusk to dawn. Nobody cares much about what’s going on in the slave’s mind. Basically, I presume some of the enslaved deserve this fate and are beyond rehabilitation. But some of them, like Adam…I wrote you his story. It compelled me to think how many people like him got doomed to that fate. If you ask me, he’s already redeemed. Not that he needed much correction anyway. People who made him break the law are walking free, but I’m not interested in them right now. Adam is my priority. If I succeed with him, maybe we can move on to some more general reforms, but it’s all maybe for now.’’

‘’What are you planning, Mike?’’ inquired Cas, cheeks burning crimson, blue eyes bright with excitement.

‘’I know Adam dreams of freedom. He never told me that directly, but once you get to know him, this is obvious. I’m not blind. I’m happy to have him around, but I’m not happy to keep him captive, even in a golden cage. When it comes to the material side of thing, he is better off here than he ever was before, but he years for freedom and, brother, I’m going to do my best go give his freedom back to him,’’ announced Michael solemnly.

Even after witnessing all the untypical events, this still came as a shock. If not his whole life at least during his adult years he thought Michael wouldn’t surprise him with anything and his eldest brother kept surprising him over and over. Cas needed a while to analyze the few last words coming from Mike. Freedom. That was way beyond even Castiel’s wildest dreams. He glanced at Michael’s to check whether this was an elaborate jest, but Mike was completely serious.

‘’I know you need a while,’’ he even assured patiently. ‘’Take all the time you need. I’ll wait. You’re the first person I told this. Adam doesn’t know. I wanted to tell you first. This is why I wished to see you in person.’’

‘’You can’t free the slave,’’ Cas finally choked out. ‘’You know it is forbidden. I don’t think anybody attempted to do it before anyway.’’

Why should they? All the noblemen and noblewoman were just perfectly fine with having a cheap labor, especially that it wasn’t frowned upon, on the contrary, rather encouraged. Castiel often deplored their lack of basic sensitives. He fought for a better conditions, for a basic rights, curtailing the near absolute power of Masters and Mistresses, but he had never taken freedom into account. The system was thoroughly unfair, life enslavement was often a punishment for really minor crimes because of lack of shorter sentences. He might have disagreed with many things, but slavery was so deeply ingrained into Enochia’s functioning he never considered freeing might be even possible.

Michael’s voice pulled him back to reality.

‘’I’ll be a pioneer than.’’

Michael was calm, so calm as if he discussed whether, not some mind-blowing ideal. Well, he probably had more than enough time to come up with it, think it over and over and over. For Cas, this was still a shock and not one to wear off quickly.

‘’Do you think I don’t stand a chance if I bring the case to the King?’’

This time there was so much worry in Michael’s voice.

‘’Are you really so dead set on it?’’ Cas needed to make sure.

‘’I consider this possibility very strongly, Castiel. I’m ready to do what I have to.’’

‘’Freeing the slave is unprecedented, Michael. If you succeed…If you really manage to convince the King…Brother, this is something. This would be a breakthrough. It would open the path for a similar cases, revolutionize the whole system. If somebody can do it, this is you.’’

At the end of saying that, Castiel could have barely hold off his own enthusiasm. He couldn’t remember being so agitated for literally years.

‘’I’m ready to fight for Adam. I’m ready to show everybody he’s reformed. More, I’m ready to show them he would have never gone down that path if he had a choice. I just wanted to discuss it with somebody more entwined into the topic. I’m a complete, utter novice to it, little brother,’’ admitted the older man.

Michael’s asking for Castiel’s advice was just as unprecedented as freeing a slave, but Cas left enjoying this little triumph it for another time. Now, he had to focus on another topic.

‘’Mike, for what’s it worth, you’ve got my full support.’’

‘’Thank you. Than I’m taking my case before the King. Finally all the connections I’ve made are going to pay off.’’

‘’You’re going back to Eden?’’

‘’Yes. I’m coming back into politics, temporarily through.’’

‘’Don’t let yourself be distracted by other schemes.’’

‘’Don’t worry, I’ll have Adam with me to remind me about why I’m doing this.’’

For the first time since leaving big word Michael felt he had a mission.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: Chuck isn’t Micheal’s father just because it fit with the storyline.

Adam was told about Michael’s big plan in the evening, after Michael and Castiel went through the details of their it. At first he almost fainted, his knees suddenly going very weak. Michael luckily got a hold on him just in time, supporting him before guiding to the nearest sitting space. Castiel mercifully handed him a glass of water, which the slave drank in one gulp, still terribly pale and slightly shaky.

‘’Freedom?’’ he finally managed to ask in the trembling, unsteady voice. His entire frame shook, making it obvious how moved he was. ‘’Is it even possible? Do you stand a chance?’’

‘’King Chuck likes me,’’ explained Lord Milton. ‘’He told me a few times he would like to have a son like me. He might consider freeing you if I ask for it. Ads, I can’t promise you the outcome, but I can promise you to try my best. There might be a light in the end of the tunnel.’’

‘’It’s nothing certain yet,’’ jumped in Cas with explanation. ‘’Sorry, but we can’t guarantee you anything.’’

Adam buried his face into hands, making Michael think he would burst into tears, but after a short while he looked up at them with completely dry and emotionless face.

‘’Are you doing this because of me?’’

‘’Uhm, yes?’’ answered Michael tentatively.

‘’I can’t believe it,’’ said the slave, his voice breaking eventually. It was the biggest display of emotions the Head of the House of Milton ever witnessed coming from him, a testament of how moved he was. ‘’You, you must have some ulterior motives,’’ added Adam hesitantly, as if speaking made him difficulty.

‘’It is the right thing to do,’’ explained Mike. ‘’Though first we’re trying with you, than we might talk about the rest.’’

‘’We’re going to Eden?’’

‘’Yes.’’

‘’I’ll see the King?’’

‘’It’s highly likely,’’ answered Michael carefully.

‘’Give me a while to process that,’’ gulped Adam.

‘’Take as much as you can,’’ offered the elder Milton kindly.

‘’I’m really not recognizing you, brother’’ chimed in Cas.

‘’Castiel, not now,’’ frowned Mike.

‘’Is Castiel coming too?’’ inquired further the blond.

“This is a good question. Cas, are you coming?’’

The youngest Milton hesitated, but shook his head no.

‘’No matter how tempting it sounds, I don’t think it would be a good move. For one thing, I might have, ehm, how to say it, made myself some enemies in the past in Eden.’’

‘’Castiel, what you’ve tried to force was rather radical,’’ commented Michael, pacing through the room, unable to stay put.

‘’Mike, you’re saying this as if what you’re trying to push through wasn’t radical. But,’’ hurried Castiel to add seeing that his brother wanted to say something. ‘’If they hear it coming from the golden boy such as you, that’s a whole lot different thing. My presence will not help you, I might assume, quite the contrary. Besides,’’ smiled Cas softly turning back to Adam. ‘’It’s Michael’s mission and it should stay that way. Mike never was much of the team player.’’

‘’Let it be, Castiel,’’ replied the elder brother, rubbing his temples. He glanced at Adam, noting with relief the slave was considerably less pale than in the beginning of the talk.

‘’I’m sorry, but now I’ll leave you on your own,’’ apologized Castiel. ‘’It was quite a day and I had many days of journey. I’m worn out and I what I seek now is a warm bed.’’

As the younger aristocrat left, the blond spoke up to his Master.

‘’It looks like you’ve got an interesting backstory. You have to tell me more about it.’’

‘’Didn’t you hear it already?’’

‘’Sorry, but living on the streets isn’t the best environment to be on the clock with news. Besides, I’d rather hear it from you directly, with all the details that were omitted before you sold your story to the public.’’

‘’I’m afraid there are none juicy details, but if you’re so curious, there’s a journey ahead of us, which means there will be more than enough time to tell you everything,’’ smiled back Michael. ‘’However, truth be told, I moved out of Eden to take a break from it.’’

‘’Now you’re coming back, don’t you?’’ Adam shot him an expecting glance from long, fair lashes. ’’Your break is over.’’

‘’With a new mission,’’ countered the Lord, though admitting to himself younger’s man reasoning had some sense in it. ‘’I’m unfortunately certain many people will be bewildered and shocked, consider yourself warned.’’

‘’How much do you risk?’’ inquired suddenly concerned blond. ‘’Is this maybe too much?’’

‘’I’ll be fine,’’ promised ambiguously Michael. When Adam sent him a disbelief look, he added.

‘’Really. My position is strong enough, don’t worry about me.’’

As Castiel tried his best to spend some quality time with Adam and as the latter was quite happy with another companion, their bond wasn’t half as strong as the one between Michael and Adam.

Castiel left a few days later, excusing himself with his own duties, but the truth was he felt like he didn’t belong. The bond between his brother and his slave was a unique one, making it obvious to all the everybody outside there’s no room for the another person between them. So Castiel left, with relief but also immense joy because of Michael’s change of heart. There was still a lot to be done, but Mike has already reached one milestone, making Castiel immensely proud of him. Maybe his strained relationship with the brother might actually be fixed with time. Now all that was left for him was waiting for King’s verdict, leaving the initiative in Michael’s hands, but Cas was strangely hopeful and had that hunch everything would turn out all right. He strongly believed in his brother’s tenacity and need to urge for what was right, as well for his personal charm and connections.

Michael himself was less optimistic. When Castiel left, it finally came to Lord’s mind that this wasn’t going to be all sunshine and roses. There was one especially burning matter and there wasn’t easy way off telling this to Adam. The nobleman wasn’t exactly thrilled about it himself, but there was no chance the slave would take it casually. Well, Mike had faced much worse, but there was something harrowing about it. Wasting no time, he sent for Adam, who arrived without delay. Seeing how cheerful the younger man was didn’t make being the messenger of bad news any easier, but Lord Milton had a reputation of the brave man to uphold. He managed to face enemies hordes, so he had no choice but deal with Adam, especially as there was nobody else to do it for him.

‘’Hi, Ads,’’ he tried to smile softly, but doubted it looked natural. ‘’There’s something I need to discuss with you before we go to Eden. Are you already packed, by the way?’’

‘’Mostly,’’ replied the slave. ‘’It didn’t take long.’’

His belongings were rather meager, even though it was more than he owned in quite the long time. He wasn’t even legally speaking the owner of them, but he conveniently ignore that simple fact. Michael never rubbed it down his nose, but Adam was told back in the kitchens it’s a common practice among Masters and overseers.

The Lord bit his cheek from inside. Everything would be so much easier if traumatized yet rebellious slaves came with a manual, but they didn’t and nothing indicated it would change, so he just did what his intuition suggested and braced himself for blond’s inevitable reaction.

‘’You might pack a few medicine books,’’ he said before coming to the point. ‘’Adam, what I’m telling you now it’s important. Listen to me carefully.’’

‘’Okay.’’

‘’If this is going to succeed, you need to do one thing.’’

‘’Yes?’’ asked Adam.

‘’You need to be a perfect slave.’’

‘’That’s more than one thing,’’ noticed the blond. ‘’More like a lifestyle. You mean kneeling and stuff?’’

‘’If you’d rather put it that way, yes.’’

It was Adam’s turn to bit his lip.

‘’It’s not me, you know that.’’

‘’I know, but it’s just a little pretending. It’s in your best interest, you know.’’

The silence on slave’s side was disconcerting.

‘’We might as well start now,’’ gulped Michael. He never had any issues taking the lead, but with Adam everything was different. Ordering him made him slightly uncomfortable. ‘’Kneel.’’

Adam shot him a disbelieving look.

‘’Seriously?’’

And for the short moment the nobleman dared to hope it would go smoothly. He really should have known better. The slave’s reaction was just as he suspected, only delayed in time.

“I thought we’re on the same page,’’ he said, forcing himself not to show his irritation. Adam didn’t bother to hide his, though.

‘’Apparently we’re not!’’

‘’Okay, I know it was a bit of the shock, but you must have probably realized it by now you need to sacrifice something to win something more. One more time, kneel.’’

The younger man glared defiantly.

‘’Not happening.’’

‘’You can’t once, _once_ , do as you’re told? Am I asking for so much, Adam?’’

The boy lashed out.

‘’Yes! You’re doing everything to break me, if not by force, by tricking me into this! Except this, it’s not only once.’’

The aristocrat sighed internally.

‘’I’m only doing what the best for you.’’

‘’I’m sick as tired of people making decisions about my life and trying to shove it to my throat they know better what’s the best for me. You’re tricking me into submitting voluntarily. It’s even worse than forcing me physically. I’ve trusted you. I really did. Of course, you’re no different than the rest.’’

It wasn’t hard for Michael to guess who is the said _rest_ , but he decided not to push the subject for now.

‘’I believed you,’’ whispered Adam accusingly. ‘’I’ve trusted you. I knew I shouldn’t, but I did.’’

‘’Ads, it not like that…’’

‘’I won’t kneel. You can’t force me!’’

‘’Actually, I can, but I don’t want to. I’d have you rather do it out of your own accord.’’

‘’That’s even worse.’’

The aristocrat felt his pent-up frustration started to leak it.

‘’Aaah, here we go again, Ads. You’ve been good for too long, didn’t you? Of course you have to resist now. What do you have to lose?’’

‘’My dignity?’’

‘’Adam, come here,’’ ordered Michael softly and without waiting for the response, he pulled the slave closer to him. ‘’Listen, brat, I get it. You’re scared and don’t even try to deny it. You’re a fighter and that’s good, but sometimes we have to compromise in order to achieve something. It may be partially my fault, because I gave you too much freedom and you think now I’m taking it away. Ads, I don’t want to hurt you, my fragile little thing. The stake is high here and I think you can swallow your pride and get hold on your mouth in order to regain full freedom. I’m not guaranteeing you anything, but I’m trying here, okay? I think it’s worth a shot, don’t you think the same? I’ve got Cas to ride here for one thing. I think it counts for something. You’re with me?’’

The blond nodded weakly.

‘’So what it will be?’’

‘’Okay,’’ finally agreed Adam with breaking voice. Michael wondered if he was swallowing back tears. ‘’I’ll cooperate.’’

‘’I know it’s hard for you,’’ he whispered, rubbing boy’s arm comfortingly. ‘’It’s your life on the line.’’

‘’I’m not a crybaby,’’ huffed offended blond, not wanting to let Michael think about him as weak.

‘’Of course not,’’ reassured him the Lord. ‘’I’m here for you, okay?’’

‘’Okay,’’ muttered Adam. ‘’Yes, Master.’’

‘’I think you’re getting a whole lot more respectful when you feel safe,’’ noticed brunette.

‘’Maybe,’’ admitted the slave reluctantly.

For some reason doing as Michael ordered _(not ordered, told or asked, oh, who was he kidding, ordered)_ became easier with time, to Adam’s great dismay. For sure he wasn’t accepting older’s man authority over him. He wasn’t bending to his will, oh no. He was his own person, no matter of legal status. Still, something made it easier to listen to Lord’s requests and the blond couldn’t help to muse about it. He wasn’t physically punished or forced to, he wasn’t starved or sleep-deprived, his accommodation were so much more than he was used to, what he had ever expected, but something still compelled him to at least take nobleman’s viewpoint into consideration. The longer Adam mused about this, the more he discovered this something is called trust. It probably was very unwise to trust a person who has all the means and resources to do anything to his slave just because he feels like it, but Michael seemed to be trustworthy. Judging by the way Lord was behaving, there was a chance and not a slim one, that he really didn’t want it for Adam to suffer.

‘’I’ll behave,’’ he choked out . ‘’Just give me more time to get used to that thought.’’

‘’You know, when you’re in front of the King, submission comes naturally to most people, even nobles.’’

‘’Is that supposed to cheer me up?’’

‘’Yes? Maybe?’’

‘’Does it come to you?’’

‘’Probably yes, but not to such extend as to the majority. I’m his close relative, after all. We used to meet pretty often before I moved out, discuss strategy plans. He valued my opinion in this field, he might treat it the same in another, though unrelated.’’

‘’Interesting.’’

‘’I’m not collaring you for now, but once we reach Eden it’s not up to discussion.’’

‘’How rich from you,’’ winced Adam, sarcasm heavy in his voice.

‘’Listen, brat, I’m trying, okay?’’

‘’Try harder.’’

‘’Adam,’’ spoke Michael menacingly slowly.

‘’Okay. I see your point, but it’s still so hard,’’ groaned the slave. ‘’To relinquish the tiny bit of control I’ve got left.’’

‘’I know.’’ The Lord squeezed his arm gently. ‘’Okay, I don’t know, but every reasonable person can guess it’s hard for you. I promise to be sensitive and spare you any unnecessary humiliation.’’

‘’I’m not overjoyed about that, but I think this is the best compromise I’ll get.’’

‘’I assure you, it is. Focus on the positive side of things.’’

‘’Like high-borns viewing me as a monkey in the zoo? Sorry, I’ve never aspired to be an entertainment to bored masses.’’

‘’And I thought I’m a cynic,’’ muttered Michael to himself. ‘’No, Ads! You’ll probably see King Chuck and his palace. You’ll also see quite a large part of Enochia while we travel.’’

‘’It doesn’t sound actually bad.’’

‘’You’ll love Eden,’’ promised the Lord. ‘’It’s unique place, very modern. When I moved to Windom it was like moving to another époque.’’

‘’I hope this masquerade will pay off.’’

‘’You’re too young to be such a sceptic.’’

‘’Was I too young to be orphaned, abandoned, to fight for survival, to be almost executed and enslaved?’’

‘’Touché.’’

‘’I can’t afford to get my hopes high and them be disappointed again. I’m sorry.’’

‘’Nothing to be sorry about. I hope at least I won’t disappoint you.’’

_You haven’t disappointed me so far,_ thought Adam. _I believe in you. I believe in you, Michael._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know, I'm terrible to my boys. Even road to happiness must be bumpy.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somethings moves in Michael-Adam relationship…

Without much warning, Adam found himself in the rather precarious situation, where he unwillingly yet chose to swallow his pride and let Michael guide him into the new, foreign world. The closer to Eden they got, the more nervous he became, mixture of excitement and anxiousness tingling under his skin. He was passing time spending hours glued to the window of carriage, watching the changing landscapes with an awe in his eyes, which Michael initially deemed cute.

‘’Adam, I feel neglected,’’ he complained eventually, bored of travelling in complete silence, interrupted only by slave’s rare comments about surroundings. ‘’Have you never been out of Windom before?’’

‘’Long time ago, as a small kid, yes, every holiday. Mum was saving money the whole year to take me somewhere. For years after Mum passed, not really. Not that far for sure. I had a place to squat and wouldn’t rather risk somebody taking it over. Finding a one is borderline impossible. I’ve lost a few decent ones previously and that wasn’t a pleasant experience, especially in the winter.’’

Even though Michael was generally familiar with Adam’s backstory, the things like that coming so naturally and in the same time completely out of the blue would probably never cease to shock him. He felt an imminent urge to comfort the boy, although the younger man didn’t probably expect it, but everything the Lord could think of sounded terribly cliché.

‘’Luckily it’s now past,’’ he said eventually.

‘’Yeah, at least there’s positive side to everything,’’ replied the slave, peeking out of the window again. ‘’Or almost everything.’’

‘’Change of scenery is usually refreshing,’’ carried on the aristocrat.

_Just as changing a subject._

‘’Yep,’’ agreed shortly Adam. ‘’I know what you’re thinking. You think I need a shoulder to cry on, but just so you know, I’m used to being on my own.’’

‘’You don’t need to be alone anymore,’’ replied his companion. ‘’Yes, I know, you’ve been alone for years, but look at you. You’re not all right. That’s the fact, Ads. You’re deeply traumatized and there’s nothing wrong with seeking help. You had quite a lot of stress in your life.’’

It felt strange, talking like this, as if he was a counselor, but maybe finally being the big brother paid off. Maybe he had more experience in comforting others than he had always suspected.

‘’Says ex-soldier,’’ shot back Adam.

‘’I’ve been an adult when I landed on the battlefield,’’ noticed the Lord. ‘’And I wasn’t alone. I’ve had officers and advisors.’’

‘’You promised to tell me about your past,’’ remarked the blond, glad to change the subject and distract the Lord enough not to dig deeper into boy’s psychoanalysis. As long as Adam pretended things were fine, they were fine. Fake it till you make it. In fact, no matter how much he tried to deny it, Michael’s presence and supporting attitude had already helped him immensely. These hazel eyes and kind smile, hidden before the seemingly harsh demeanor.

‘’There is no way I’m getting out of that?’’ Asked Lord Milton, bringing the slave back to present.

‘’Nope. Do you have something to hide?’’

‘’No,’’ exclaimed offended nobleman. ‘’You want to know, so listen. I’ve wanted to be a soldier as long as I remember. I’ve got promoted rather quickly, led a few campaigns. I had some knowledge, good people and some luck. I kept winning. Then the more peaceful times came and I dabbled a bit in politics. This is when I came into the close relationships with King Chuck. That’s all.’’

‘’You’re suddenly so modest, not like you. Nothing about the glory and drums of war?’’

‘’It was a hard work. I really needed a break from all this pressure and people who expected a lot from me. I had a lot of good moments, but just as many bad ones. It’s difficult to explain it to you.’’

‘’Because I’m a commoner?’’

‘’Because you’re the civilian. The moment you feel the weight of responsibility for lives of thousands of people and you know it’s on you and nobody can make this decision for you and one bad move and Enochia would be lost, it’s unimaginable. You have to be there to understand.’’

‘’I can’t believe that you’re barely above thirty and have already so many achievements’’, whispered Adam, shifting his position.

‘’You know, kids in the families like mine are raised to be like that from the cradle. Especially the older ones, like me. Gabriel and Castiel had more freedom,’’ explained the aristocrat simply.

‘’Castiel struck me as jealous of you,’’ noticed the blond.

‘’Why do we almost wish for what we can’t have?’’ Mused philosophically the Lord. ‘’We never had a strong bond. It was probably even the weaker than mine and Gabriel’s. When I was a teenager he was just an annoying kid. I’ve always felt obliged to be a good big brother, but I’m afraid we were just too different for me to be protective of him.’’

‘’You’re protective of me,’’ commented Adam.

A solemn smile flashed through Michael’s face.

‘’I did a pretty lousy job of doing that at first.’’

Instead of triumphing over the Master admitting his failure, the slave just shrugged indifferently.

‘’Water under the bridge. What matters in what you’ve learnt from it and what you do now.’’

‘’I’ve ever thought I would meet someone like you. You’re a good guy, Adam Milligan.’’

‘’Even though I’m a criminal?’’

‘’Don’t flatter yourselves. With so petty crimes consider yourself absolved.’’

‘’Petty crimes?’’ squealed mock-outraged Adam. ‘’I’m a bad man. You shouldn’t underestimate things I could do.’’

Michael looked at him condescendingly.

‘’You’re than the most adorable bad man I’ve ever met. About your skills, I am fully convinced you can surprise me.’’

‘’If I was ever told the Head of the House of the Milton would ever compliment my not-so-legal skills, I would have never believed it.’’

‘’Surprise? However, as the guardian of peace and order in this country I must warn you that unwarranted use of them would result in unpleasant ramifications.’’

‘’Really, Michael? For a while you act okay and then in the second you jump with something like that?’’

‘’That’s the way I am, Ads. Deal with it.’’

‘’Eloquent, Mike, eloquent.’’

‘’I simplified it so you could memorize the massage.’’

The slave chuckled. He was spending days travelling with Master and nights sharing a chamber with him, as the Lord refused to let him out of his sigh. Not so long ago he could have sworn it would have been too overwhelming to stay sane with such a constant supervision, but surprisingly, he didn’t mind it after long periods of loneliness. Luckily nobody inquired who precisely Adam was for Michael and why the mighty nobleman insisted on keeping him close. Being in good graces of one of the most influential people in Enochia apparently had quite a lot of advantages.

‘’It’s for your safety,’’ explained the Lord and while the slave had that little voice in his head screaming he should protest, the voice luring him to just allow brunette take the reign was louder. Especially when there were unexpected perks of this situation.

‘’Mike, you can’t expect me to treat you seriously after seeing you in these pajamas,’’ said Adam the first night.

The nobleman looked down suspiciously on his attire.

‘’What’s wrong with my pajamas?’’

‘’Absolutely nothing,’’ grinned the blond. ‘’I just didn’t suspect you to wear anything so undignified.’’

‘’Adam,’’ replied Michael very slowly, sitting on the bed. ‘’Please don’t tell me you thought I slept in the full armor.’’

‘’I’ve never thought much about your nighttime outfit, so sorry, My Lord.’’

Yes, this unusual companionship had quite the lot of good sides, but there was also a drawback. It wasn’t even the lack of privacy, because Adam had it much worse, namely not so long ago (even if it felt like lifetime) in slavequarters. The problem lied somewhere else. The nightmares, which subsided while his stay upstairs back in Windom, came back with double force. He had a theory it was the side effect of allowing himself to reflect on his life and coming out of the comfort zone. Astonishingly, Michael’s mansion back in Windom grew to be a shelter and now the slave was moving to unknown land only to face the high-borns, who weren’t probably the same as Michael. Mike was actually, with all his faults, _good_ to Adam. He was an exception, a shining star among these undoubtedly pompous, stuck-up, conceited, convinced about their own greatness Lords and Ladies who wouldn’t pay the lithest attention to the fact Adam was still human and treat him as awfully as he was treated for half of his life or even worse. At least Michael wouldn’t let them physically harm him, but words, oh words, these were often worse. The scars from beatings and whippings were mostly healed, leaving only a few barely noticeable scars, but words were still with him, in the back of his head, not getting erased quickly or easily.

There wasn’t a thing in this world he feared more than being vulnerable in front of others people, especially the ones he was dependent on, but there was no way to keep his state secret form Michael. Of course it didn’t took long for the Master to find out. First night was relatively peaceful, presumably because Adam was sleeping lightly due to changed surroundings, as if half-expecting somebody to jump out and try to attack him. In the broad daylight everything was different, but as he was lying in his luxurious, spacious bed, he silently thanked Michael for coming up with this idea of staying close.

Michael. Lord Milton was the man who made his head ache immensely every time Adam tried to figure out what he actually thought of him.

Michael was complicated. On the one hand he had all the (or majority of them anyway) traits of the Lord. He was proud, decisive, had a rather low tolerance for disobedience (how he let Adam get away with so much it was still a mystery to the blond). He had connections, achievements, wealth, he was undoubtedly brave and loyal to the King. He had sacrificed a lot for Enochia. On the other hand, he had finally thought about his own needs, his own happiness. Despite his seriousness he had a sense of humor and sometimes Adam managed to make him smile or even laugh. He was probably lonely too. If Michael were to present himself as a cruel and unjust Master, he would have done it long before, not playing this game so long with a slave, especially that he gained nothing from being nice and compassionate to Adam, maybe except feeling better about himself. Still, the efforts were undoubtedly greater than potential benefits. It was a pleasant discovery to find out Michael wasn’t always such a sticker to principles as one could have expected. When he wasn’t, it was so far always in Adam’s favor, so the latter wouldn’t complain about it.

Closing his eyes, the boy wondered whether the Lord would ever see him as his equal. Before he came to a satisfying conclusion, the sleep claimed him.

The second night was by far less blissful. During the daytime he managed to have a blazing row with Michael about something stupid, but neither of them wanted to give up. Adam was fed up with everything and when he finally hoped to find some decent rest in the good sleep, he got plagued by nightmares instead. The painfully realistic ones, to make the matters worse.

_He sees Michael, looking strikingly alike to the real Michael, yet something is odd. Michael has that cold, unpleasant vibes radiating from him, sending shivers through Adam spine and there’s a terrible, unpleasant smirk on his face. His usually warm or in the worst case thoughtful hazelnut eyes are hollow and empty, dark irises looking so foreign._

_‘’Did you really think anybody would do anything for you?’’ asks this unfamiliar, distant figure. ‘’Why should I care? Since you appeared in my life you brought only chaos. Were you really so stupid to believe I care about you? I should have left you to die when I had a chance. It would be a shame for me to consort with somebody like you. Do you really think I am so desperate to actually seek your company?’’_

_The contempt in Michael’s eyes is evident, but except for that he remains impassive. Adam wants to speak, but there’s a lump in his throat. He can’t breathe, he’s suffocating, he needs to run away, but he can’t move._

_‘’Pathetic,’’ comments Michael with the same uncaring expression._

_Adam starts to scream out of the top of his lungs._

‘’Adam! Adam! Wake up, it’s me. It’s fine. It was just a dream.’’

The voice sounded familiar, yet it was like coming from afar. It took the slave a few seconds to match it to its owner.

‘’Michael?’’ he asked weakly, his eyes closed firmly close shut, as if he was instinctively bracing himself from the outside world.

‘’Yes, that’s me,’’ confirmed the voice. ‘’Are you all right?’’

‘’Please don’t hurt me,’’ pleaded the younger man, unsure what was real, not being awake enough to bring up his usual indifferent demeanor.

Michael hoisted him to a sitting position, supporting him with one arm.

‘’Ads, sunshine, I would never hurt you. I woke you up, because you were clearly in distress. You were crying quite loudly in your sleep and tossing around. I was afraid you might fall and hurt yourself.’’

Lord Milton tactfully omitted that Adam made such a miserable view even in the pale moonlight shadow that he simply felt compelled to cease his suffering.

‘’I’m sorry I woke you up,’’ muttered the blond glumly.

‘’Nothing to be sorry for, sweetie,’’ assured him aristocrat. ‘’I’ve got you, darling. Was it a bad dream?’’

‘’Yes,’’ confirmed the slave.

Michael ran his fingers through Adam’s sweaty hair.

‘’Do you want to talk about it?’’

‘’No,’’ whimpered the blond rather pitifully.

‘’It might help you,’’ offered Lord Milton.

‘’Is this an order?’’

‘’No.’’

‘’Than ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies,’’ answered the younger man in a steadier voice. Telling Master that he was the villain in Adam’s dream that made him so forlorn wasn’t something he would be keen on sharing. Expect that, he was still awfully sleepy, since it was the dead of the night and not really interested in keeping up with any conversation.

‘’You’re sometimes too smart for your own good,’’ remarked the nobleman, brushing lightly slave’s arm with his long fingers. ‘’Suit yourself, but if you change your mind I’m still here. However, I’d be grateful if you’ll wait till morning.’’

Adam only yawned as the answer, as he gradually relaxed into Master’s soft touch, resting his forehead on nobleman’s shoulder. Michael planted a soft kiss on the crown of his head with his warm lips. ‘’Let’s put you to back bed,’’ whispered the Lord gently, noticing the young man was already falling back asleep. He carefully laid the boy back, pulled the comforter and wrapped it over the still trembling form, patted him one more time and waited until he was sure Adam was soundly asleep, fortunately peacefully this time.

The situation repeated a for a couple of nights, despite Adam’s evident grief because of his secret being exposed and Michael’s reassurances everything would be fine and it’s a perfectly normal reaction. The moment the blond eventually managed to sleep through the whole night, undoubtedly at least partially thanks to Lord’s patient support, they were already in close proximity to the capital of Enochia.

‘’We’ll reach our destination tomorrow,’’ informed Lord Milton his rather bored companion.

‘’Good. A more few days and I would have gone crazy from this confinement.’’

‘’Are you ready?’’

‘’As ready as I will be,’’ admitted Adam.

‘’Remember about you manners.’’

‘’I’ll try. You don’t have to remind me about it every time.’’

‘’This is only a second time and I’m afraid I might have been to lax with practicing it.’’

The truth was Michael knew how much all these displays of subservience made Adam so upset that he didn’t want to torment him with them. However, as the former soldier and leader he knew he should have known better about the importance of duty. He would make sure to have the slave properly trained, even though even the thought about it resulted in the knot forming in his stomach.

As the reached Eden in all its glory, the most beautiful, climatic place in the whole country, for a few first minutes Adam behaved almost as overexcited, unruly toddler, but Michael could have hardly blame him, as the Enochian capital was truly a stunning place, bound to provoke such a reaction.

‘’Ads, more self-restraint,’’ he admonished the young man mildly, not bothering to hide his smile. For him it was more like a homecoming, but even he had already forgotten how magnificent the city looked. ‘’I can’t wait to see my own friends,’’ he confessed even. ‘’It’s indeed been too long.’’

‘’But you won’t forget about the original reason we’ve arrived?’’ Wanted to make sure the blond.

‘’Yes, yes,’’ agreed the Lord dismissively, but corrected himself immediately after noticing the solemn look in Adam’s blue eyes. ‘’I’m not leaving you. I just want to seize this opportunity. If it’s any easier, consider this as a way to gain more allies.’’

‘’Okay.’’

The boy still sounded unconvinced.

‘’We’re a team,’’ reminded him Michael. ‘’We need to work as a team. In the team teammates trust each other. I have a feeling I’m still doing something wrong, because you don’t trust me fully.’’

Adam tilted his head.

‘’Just don’t forget about why you brought me along.’’

‘’I doubt you’d let me. I can’t believe I’m actually one to say it, but more optimism, sunshine. I think despite the circumstances you might actually have some fun as well.’’

‘’Michael, that was far-fetched and you know that,’’ replied wincing Adam.

The brunette sighed heavily.

‘’Fine, fine. Anyway, you’ll be all right, okay? I won’t let you come to any harm.’’

Adam clung to this promise like to the lifeline.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies and gentleman, I think we’ve finally got the breakthrough in how Michael sees Adam. It took a while, didn’t it, guys? Now just as many chapters to find out how Adam sees Michael. Just kidding ;) Maybe we’ll get there quicker. Stay tuned.

‘’I can’t believe we’re in royal palace,’’ said Adam, making another circle around the room.

‘’Yes, I know, you’ve repeated it three times already,’’ replied incomparably calmer Michael.

‘’I though your place is large and fancy, but this, Mike, it’s unimaginable,’’ admitted excitedly the blond, jumping on the bed like an overly enthusiastic child. ‘’I didn’t even know such places exist. For one thing, it’s huge.’’

The Lord stepped closer to take the young man off the bed.

‘’Behave yourself,’’ he reprimanded his willful slave, extending his arms to him.

‘’As if somebody were to barge into without knocking,’’ answered the blond while being stood back on the floor.

‘’Don’t take unnecessary risks,’’ reminded him the nobleman. ‘’There’s too much on the line.’’

‘’I know,’’ said Adam. ‘’It’s just…Michael, I can’t remember the last time I felt like this. Especially that my stay here is fully legal, right?’’

‘’It is,’’ confirmed the high born. It was so hard to stay angry at the boy when he was just thrilled like that and his unruliness wasn’t the result of the ill will, just understandable interest and excitement. ‘’Don’t worry about that.’’

‘’Servants won’t be surprised by my presence in your quarters?’’ Inquired suddenly the slave, his joyful mood replaced by the down-to-earth thinking.

‘’A few selected has been informed about your situation,’’ replied Michael, but the younger man could have seen his thoughts drifted somewhere else. ‘’At least as much as they need to know,’’ he added after a while, his eyes still absent.

There was something Michael wasn’t telling him, but he couldn’t find it in himself to ask about it now. There was too much joy in his heart because of finding himself in the Eden’s most closely guarded and reserved only for a chosen ones place. Never in his wildest dreams he went so far to imagine he would one day stay there and not in the servant quarters, but in the rooms reserved for the privileged. It was even a more magnificent surrounding than he visualized it many times during their journey. He barely got a first glance on the greatness of it, almost getting lost among the numerous servants and other inhabitants passing through the wide corridors and the countless number of rooms and cloisters, if not for Michael’s firm hand on his arm. Even if everything around him was so real, he still wondered whether it could have all been just a fidget of his imagination. He peeked through the window curiously, only to discover the view was indeed breathtaking.

‘’Do you think I can go to the garden?’’ He asked instead of pushing the subject the Lord clearly wouldn’t like to dwell on.

The nobleman frowned.

‘’Of course not, Adam! Sit down and listen to me.’’

Without a second thought the slave sprawled himself on the armchair, resting his head on the cushion.

‘’Just don’t get yourself too comfortable,’’ muttered the brunette to himself

‘’You’re no fun tonight.’’

‘’Are you indicating I am fun sometimes?’’

‘’Yes? Maybe? I don’t know. Okay, sometimes you are. In the rare and short moments, but yes.’’

‘’Now, Adam, back to the topic. Listen carefully, jokes aside. Firstly, when anybody, and I really mean anybody, walks in, you transform into the perfect slave. Is that clear?’’

‘’Yes.’’

‘’Okay. Ads, it’s really, really important. I’m sorry for that, but I’m not doing it because I’m enjoying it. Secondly, the King is busy. He will probably see me in a few days, maybe a week, but it doesn’t change much. I’ll still have to take the official path and it’ll take time. I’ve got business to attend. I’ve already got too many invitations to ignore them and truth be told, I don’t want to ignore them. Some of them, anyway. It might be a shock to you, but I also have some social needs. You will stay here and find some harmless way to entertain yourself.’’

Adam actually nodded with understanding.

‘’It’s fine. Have fun.’’

‘’Thanks. Okay, that’s generally it for you now. You may go look around these quarters. It should take you a while. You can take the room on the left.’’

‘’Okay,’’ agreed the young man easily. Too easily. Michael might have been paranoid, but he didn’t win the war without trusting his gut feelings.

‘’Adam, I mean it,’’ he repeated. ‘’Seriously, I don’t want to be notified about you, well, you know.’’

‘’About me what?’’ asked the blond innocently.

‘’You know it perfectly well yourself.’’

Adam didn’t reply rushed to unpack instead, leaving finally Michael to gather his thoughts. What he said to the slave was basically it when it came to his side on the deal. Lord Milton was perfectly aware that he would be the one almost fully responsible on how his case would be presented and he was determined not to let Adam down. Indeed, he was to see Chuck unofficially and vowed to play his cards well enough to prepare the ground for the official path, but he knew the King could be moody. Sometimes he would just lock himself in his apartments and refuse to see anybody. The rumors told it might be one of these times, meaning their stay might prolong. He didn’t want to break it to Adam, who had enough uncertainty in his life, most of it thanks to Michael himself. What’s more, if they were to wait, it was bound to be frustrating for both of them, but something told the nobleman that the boy might take it worse, being left to his own devices. He doubted Adam would cause any troubles, but being locked up like that without even a set date of when something would move would be simply upsetting for anybody. He had seen the curiosity in the slave’s eyes, making it no secret how much he would love to go on and explore. No matter how much it pained it, the Lord couldn’t simply let him do that. He promised to himself that if their mission would succeed, if Adam was freed, he would take him on the tour around the palace and adjacent gardens to make it up to him. He knew this place as the back if his own hand.

What counted was that King Chuck knew about his arrival, ordered to have the finest apartment prepared for his favorite soldier and would eventually talk to him. All that Michael had to do was being patient. Luckily, judging by the number of invitations he already received he had something to pass the time. The news about his arrival had spread and he had every reason to suspect there would be more of people willing to make or renew contacts with him. It wasn’t the bad news, actually, since it meant he was still an important player in this game of influence and politics.

Apart of King’s mood swings, there was more one thing he would rather spare Adam. His presence in the quarters was perfectly legal and the few selected servants chosen for the Lord were forewarned about it, but even though it wasn’t said aloud, it was indicated why he had brought a slave along and then located him so close to himself. It wasn’t a common occurrence, but it happened. Nobody cared, so the silent permission was granted and except that Adam was just too pretty to make another conclusion. When it came to the nobleman the servants might have thought whatever their fertile imagination came up with, but, for one thing, he hoped they would stay silent and not spill the beans about where exactly the boy was staying, due to the fact it might sabotage Michael’s quest to free him, inevitably suggesting his intentions might be not so pure as he claimed. Secondly, he just hoped they would treat Adam civilly and not voice their presumptions in front of him.

Even the thought about forcing Adam (because if there’s one thing in this word Michael was sure about was that Adam wouldn’t just submit without the fight) made him literally sick to his stomach. Not because he didn’t find Adam attractive (because he did), but because he didn’t believe in violating anybody like that. Especially not Adam, who had such a hard time trusting anybody, let alone his Master.

Adam, with his bright eyes and floppy, soft hair, with mischievous smile and electric personality. Adam, who gave Michael the push in the right direction, who helped him to open his eyes, to see the bigger picture, to show him there was the world outside the upper classes, who faced enormous difficulties without any support, who didn’t break even while he was horribly mistreated and abused and then trusted his master enough to be vulnerable around him.

Adam, whom he wanted to protect and shield for all costs, but in the same time to grant him his much-needed autonomy.

Adam was precious and he worth everything. There was the battle coming, maybe the most difficult and important in his life and Lord Milton was determined to win it. For Adam.

All in all, Michael started to attend to various events, disappearing for the long hours, coming back in the late hours, looking mostly pleased and satisfied, maybe even happy, making Adam rather worried that maybe now, surrounded by all these high-class, influential people Lord Milton would forget about the initial aim of the journey, letting himself be carried away by all these fun activities or focus on completely different subjects. The time passed and the wasn’t a slightest indication that the King was willing to see their case soon or even at all. On the other hand, the nobleman seemed to be perfectly content with status quo.

‘’You’re constantly leaving me,’’ complained Adam eventually one night. ‘’I’m abandoned and bored.’’

‘’I’ve got quite a lot to catch up,’’ answered Michael dismissively. ‘’I’ve been out of town for a while.’’

‘’I know, but maybe you can take me out with you?’’ Suggested the slave. The Lord turned to him with a quite startled expression.

‘’It is possible, but I didn’t even propose this to you, since I thought you would fight tooth and toe against it.’’

‘’Why?’’ Asked the blond, even though he had a vague idea what the answer might be.

‘’Do you really want to spend the whole evening kneeling at my feet?’’

Okay, this didn’t sound appealing. However, Adam had been through a lot of humiliation in his life. Usually he got degraded without a good reason, without any reason, just for a senseless joy of his tormentors or wrongly understood sense of justice. He could take a more of it, no matter how bitter with thought is, because this time it might actually benefit to him. He objectively knew even considering this was disgusting, but he was a survivalist. He had been, all his life, even before Mum passed. This time at least he knew no physical harm would come to him and he would deal with being treated off-handily, because it might help him into regaining his freedom. If everybody would see how docile and well-behaved actually he was ( _a trained, broken pet, this almost made him sick, but he dismissed this thought)_ it might result in something good.

There was more to it. With anybody else he wouldn’t even ponder on it, but with anybody else he wouldn’t have been where he was now, so, yes, he would do it, because he trusted Michael. Because Michael was the only exception, letting him chose every time it was possible. Because he actually cared about Adam’s feelings and saw him more than just a slave.

‘’I’ll manage,’’ he finally said. ‘’I’ll be fine, Michael, Master.’’

‘’Are you sure?’’

It was obvious that the Lord doubted that.

‘’Yep,’’ confirmed the young man.

‘’Okay,’’ said Michael very slowly, making it clear he still doubted allowing Adam out was the good idea.

‘’Don’t you think we should practice before the big day?’’ Tried the blond.

‘’The big day…’’ repeated the nobleman solemnly. ‘’I don’t even know how much longer it would take for me to see the King. He’s stalling and I’m afraid I have fallen from grace.’’

He probably shouldn’t have told this to Adam, who had already enough reasons to be anxious and worried, but he also owned him to be decent enough to be sincere. The boy deserved the truth.

‘’You couldn’t have fallen,’’ exclaimed understandably upset slave. ‘’You’ve done so much for Enochia and the King.’’

‘’Adam, I don’t want to get you troubled. ‘’King Chuck is just…How to say it…He can act unpredictable.’’

‘’This doesn’t help.’’

‘’It might, since he might consider your plea. If this was any other ruler, the one more bound to traditions and customs, the wasn’t even sense in trying. But with King Chuck…Cheer up, Adam, you stand a chance.’’

‘’How unpredictable he can be?’’ inquired further Adam.

‘’Sometimes he just…I don’t know, Ads. He’s generally a good king. He knows how to be reasonable when he has to.’’

‘’Good, because otherwise it would be strange this kingdom is still standing,’’ snorted the blond.

‘’Adam, this is why I’m so hesitant to take you out. What if you blurt something like that with all these Lords and Ladies listening? I don’t even want to think about the outcome.’’

‘’Mike, I’ll be good. Mum thought be how to behave in public.’’

‘’Oh, I’m absolutely convinced she did her best, but look at you.’’

‘’Please, let me out. Being here is like a prison, a very luxurious prison, but still a prison.’’

‘’So you’re exchanging imprisonment to slavery? Have it your way.’’

‘’I’m exchanging being locked up to being able to see something fun. Michael, I trust you, but trust is two-way road. Do you trust me?’’

This was insightful, making Lord Milton ashamed of his overprotectiveness. He was so hellbent on protecting Adam even from himself, that he crossed the line into suffocating the boy with his care.

‘’Yes, I trust you. I’m sorry, sunshine, I just wanted everything to be going good, I have to admit I’m a tad worried about the King, but still hoping it’s just his usual lapse in character. I’m used taking decisions and I’m generally a dominative type, you know that, it’s not about you, Adam. You might go with me tomorrow and if that would be passable to you any other day or night.’’

‘’Okay. Thanks, Michael.’’

‘’You’re welcome. Let’s just review some ground rules, sweetheart.’’

Adam smirked, rolled his eyes and stuck a tongue at Michael.

‘’Whatever you wish, Master.’’

Brat, but a very charming brat.


	18. Chapter 18

In this not really orthodox way, Adam started to accompany Michael to the various parties and events. Probably _accompany_ wasn’t the greatest word, but there he couldn’t come up with a better one. Not that he was pleased with all the aspects of being taken out, but at least some of them were enjoyable. Every time he wanted to get up from his submissive position and look up or come closer to something, he got halted by Master’s discreet but stern glance, which was more than enough for him to abandon these plans.

To give him that, Michael was respecting his boundaries; for instance once after Adam told him while they were back in private he wasn’t exactly fond of being hand-fed, the nobleman never attempted to do it again.

On the one hand the young man received a lot of unwanted attention, but on the other hand it gave Lord Milton a natural opportunity to explain his plans with a charming, captivating smile. The most common reactions consisted of a good deal of confusion and disbelief. Pretty often these were followed by the comments about how tame Adam indeed was, which were even worse for the boy, who sometimes closed his eyes or kept them glued firmly to the ground, red from humiliation, too ashamed to look Michael’s interlocutor in the eye even if it hadn’t been a sheer impertinence. Although he never directly told Master what turmoil occurred in these moments in his head, the older man usually sensed his distress and brushed swiftly the top of Adam’s head, barely touching his fair hair, but enough to send the message he was there for the slave. It was quite startling how tender he could be if he chose to, considering he was a military man, more used to barking orders and demanding instant obedience. Usually after the initial curiosity of the aristocrats subsided, Adam was largely ignored for the rest of the encounter, which was fine for him.

On the other hand, there were the aspects of these parties which he enjoyed. The word he always believed to be beyond his grasp was here and he was the part of it, even though not in the way he would like to. Fate sometimes worked in the mysterious ways. From his spot the blond watched the glory and splendor of Enochian elite, among which Michael moved like a fish in the water. It was obvious to everyone he just belonged. He never had to ask for anybody’s attention, just the contrary, he came along many Lords and Ladies who wished to talk to him for just a brief moment. Sometimes these small talks brought him a geniue joy, but more often he was unmistakably bored out of his mind. Not that he showed it to the interlocutor, but Adam spent enough time with him to just know, to react to these small signals.

All of the aristocracy were sickeningly polite to Michael, but the vast majority of them only did it because of the proper etiquette or the selfish desire to get into his good graces, maybe because they were a tad afraid of him for some reason. Some of them tried to impress him, the noble ladies often marveled at his courage and good looks. Even the serving women shot him sometimes a lusting glance. Adam had to admit all these Ladies and nearly a walking perfection. Beautiful, highly educated, charming, with excellent connections and thinking worlds of Michael. In their festive dressed and expensive yet discreet jewellery they looked completely different than working woman the slaved used to meet his whole life. These one were ready to be adored and cosseted, to assume their role as the future Lady Milton.

Adam didn’t wonder much about it before, but now it became clear to him that the fact Michael wasn’t married was rather odd. There were more than enough eligible candidates, who would say yes to him in the blink if only he bothered to ask. The ones who would really treat him the way he deserved it, not the way Adam did. It was only the matter of time before Michael finally would come across somebody he would truly be interested in. The blond could have seen with no difficulty that among these fickle woman were a great deal of the ones with razor-sharp intellect and spirited personalities, interested in more than just being a perfect trophy housewife. The one his Master would admire and inevitably fall for sooner or later.

Adam would have a Mistress. For some reason this made him rather nervous and anxious. She would definitely point out to Michael that he shouldn’t have ever let the slave so close and Mike would probably listen to the voice of reason. He had always been a lever-headed man, loyal to the fault and extremely dutiful. She would bear him children, healthy, beautiful boys and girls, all resembling him and Adam would never see his Lord again, being certainly sent-off. Not the most uplifting scenario, but the most probable one and the blond was never the one to sugar coat reality.

Late in the night Michael returned to his chamber after refreshing, dead on his feet, dreaming only about a rest, only to find Adam sitting cross-legged on his bed.

‘’Not yet asleep?’’ He asked, startled, fighting to chase off his own sleepiness.

‘’I wanted to talk to you,’’ replied the younger man neutrally. It was truly the middle of the night and he was tired too, but he probably wouldn’t fall asleep anyway, worry keeping him awake.

‘’Something is wrong?’’ Inquire the brunette, rubbing his tired eyes. ‘’I know the situation isn’t ideal, but I forewarned you. You’ve agreed to conditions. Do you want to stop going with me? Or every night is too much for you? You can stay when you want. It’s fine.’’

‘’It’s not about that,’’ replied the slave. ‘’Of course, I’m not very happy with my position, but as you’ve said, you forewarned me and I can handle it.’’

‘’Okay,’’ said Michael slowly, sitting down next to the boy, glancing longingly at the pillow. ‘’What is it about then?’’

‘’How come you aren’t married?’’ Adam blurted out eventually, not being able to hold it to himself a minute longer.

This wasn’t what the Lord expected.

‘’Excuse me?’’ He asked, not believing his own ears.

‘’I see how all these woman look at you.’’

Okay, this might even had some sense, but there was no direct link between this and marriage. In fact, recently marriage was the last thing on Michael’s mind.

‘’Maybe they look at me that way cause I’m taking you round, hmm?’’

For the Lord this scenario seemed to be much more probably and reasonable. He knew perfectly that dragging the slave along wasn’t something usual, so he was bound to cause some controversies. Adam, though, stuck to his previous viewpoint.

‘’Michael, we both not there’s more to that.’’

The nobleman yawned.

‘’Ads, do you know what hour is it? Can’t we talk in the morning?’’

‘’Tell me why you aren’t married right now,’’ demanded the boy.

This was getting to much even for usually patient Michael.

‘’Ads, what is wrong with you?’’ He inquired.

‘’Everything,’’ shot back Adam stubbornly.

‘’Okay,’’ replied the Lord. ‘’So that you know, I haven’t found a right person. Sometimes I doubt I will ever do.’’

Telling the truth was easier and quicker than beating around the bush, especially at this hour. Not that he had something to hide. The slave was, not surprisingly, doubtful. Michael noted in his mind to tell him that there’s no need to be so wary, but this conversation could wait, especially that the brunette was really beat and Adam asked another question.

‘’That’s all?’’

Michael started losing it.

‘’Yes. What you were expecting?’’

This was really getting on his nerves. Not the topic itself, though it was out of his mind why the younger man chose to pursue it so late, after the tiring day, but the hour itself.

‘’You don’t have a heir,’’ pointed out Adam.

‘’I have,’’ informed him the Lord. ‘’His name is Jack and he’s my brother’s son. I’m perfectly fine with his succession. I’ve got used to the thought of not having my own kids.’’

‘’I don’t believe you,’’ exclaimed the young man obstinately.

‘’Adam, please don’t insist on being a brat tonight,’’ asked Michael in tired tone. ‘’It’s too late and my patience is running out.’’

‘’I’m sorry,’’ the slave choked out, his mood shifting suddenly, the willfulness and determination replaced to something akin to remorse and silent pleading. He was in desperate need of the hug and he couldn’t tell Master what his real concern was.

‘’It’s okay,’’ reassured him the Lord, softening at this display of emotions. ‘’I know, quite a lot of changes, all in short time and I have to admit you’re dealing better with them than I’ve expected.’’

‘’I do?’’ asked for confirmation Adam.

‘’Yes, you do. You’re very strong, you know that, right? I look at you and think you’re much stronger than I’ve ever been.’’

‘’Now you’re kidding me.’’

‘’I’m not. Ads, you’ve proved to be truly resilient. I’m proud of you.’’

‘’Thanks,’’ smiled back the boy sleepily. Michael stifled the yawn himself.

‘’Listen, sunshine, whatever is on your mind, I assure you, it can wait. Now I need to sleep and you need to sleep to. Goodnight.’’

‘’You’re not mad at me, right?’’ Asked Adam childishly.

Michael sighed and slided his fingers over the boy’s cheek.

‘’No, I’m not, but I will be if you insist on asking strange questions in the middle of the night.’’

‘’Okay,’’ sulked the slave, but didn’t move for an inch.

‘’Adam, I’m half-mind to strangle you with the pillow,’’ threatened the Lord.

‘’I’m tired,’’ muttered the boy miserably. ‘’My knees hurt. It hurts to walk.’’

‘’I’ll carry you, just let me finally go to bed.’’

‘’Fine.’’

After Michael was sure Adam was safely tucked in, he finally rested his head on the pillow in his own bed, pulled up the comforter and wondered what had happened with his life.

The next morning the slave was considerably less talkative. He decided that no matter what he say or do it wouldn’t change anything. Michael would do what he wanted. Adam didn’t even bother to get up. The day was rainy and wet, the weather so bad that it was almost grey outside the window, the big, fat raindrops falling on the glass steadily, discouraging the boy even more to leave the warm shelter of his too-big-for-one-person bed.

‘’What’s up with you?’’ Inquired the startled Lord. ‘’First you shower me with tons of questions in the night and now you refuse to speak.’’

The blond shrugged and rolled over, turning his back to the Master.

‘’Have it your way,’’ agreed the nobleman in seemingly indifferent tone and left, leaving Adam alone again, with only his gloomy thoughts to keep him company. When he returned it was already the late afternoon.

‘’Are you done sulking?’’ He asked Adam who by this moment was out of the bed, however still not keen much on talking.

‘’I wasn’t sulking,’’ he replied unhappily.

‘’It looked a lot of like a sulking to me,’’ commented the Lord. ‘’Anyway, you’re going with me tonight?

Adam nodded slowly. Not like he had something better to do. His mind wandered to what Master said to him the previous night, but he wasn’t sure it wasn’t even just a part of his dream. He never felt particularly strong, more like lost, dependent, focused on day to day survival, not knowing what would happen next.

‘’Are you sick?’’ Asked concerned nobleman.

‘’I’m fine,’’ the blond managed to say, his throat dry.

‘’You don’t look fine,’’ noticed Michael.

The boy forced a small smile.

‘’I’m the one medicine-oriented here, right? It’s just the weather. I’m perfectly all right.’’

The Lord seemed to buy it, as he didn’t inquire further.

The party wasn’t different from the any other Adam was brought along to. Michael had that polite smile glued to his face and might have actually have some moderately decent time, but without frills. Adam noted with a bitter amusement that he got used to the high class parties and balls as well and he wasn’t half as excited over them as in the beginning. He sincerely hoped that nightmare of being stuck without much indication something will move in his case would end soon, because it was a real nightmare, even with Michael. The thought he kind of agreed to this kind of treatment made it even worse. Sighing internally, he studied the room discreetly, when something caught his eye, making him forget for a while about the growing self-loathing.

There was a strikingly beautiful woman walking in their direction in small steps, wearing black high heel shoes and bottle green dress corresponding her gorgeous red, shiny hair, a few strands of which pinned by a golden clip, the majority of them, though, let loosely on her arms.

‘’Michael!’’ She exclaimed, approaching near.

‘’Anna!’’ Lord’s Milton face actually shone on. ‘’What an encounter.’’

‘’I’ve just finished playing poker with Ezekiel here,’’ she gestured to the man still sitting at one of the tables, who had lost this time, judging by his morose expression. ‘’And who do my eyes see. Michael, this is really you.’’

‘’In the flesh. Are you looking for another victim to beat in the game?’’

Her pale cheeks flushed slightly.

‘’You flatter me, but we both know you’re the one known as the victor.’’

It was obvious to Adam that his Master got attentive for the first time in that evening.

‘’Now you’re flattering me. How long it was since we saw each other, Anna?’’

‘’Too long,’’ she replied gracefully.

‘’My, my, last time I saw you, you were still a girl, now look at you, a woman in her prime,’’ he commented, sending her a complimenting glance.

‘’Michael, you’ve always been a gentleman.’’

‘’At your service, My Lady.’’

She laughed shortly, but turned serious almost immediately.

‘’To be honest, it’s not such a big surprise we actually run into each other. In fact, it’s rather a surprise it took so long. When I exchanged letters with Castiel lately, he mentioned about your planned escapade so I half expected to meet you here.’’

‘’Oh, so that you know everything already?’’

‘’You can say so, but I’d rather discuss it somewhere more private.’’

‘’Of course,’’ the Lord immediately caught the suggestion. ‘’Visit me in my quarters tomorrow evening, won’t you?’’

‘’My pleasure. So, this is Adam, right?’’

_It took longer than usual,_ noted the slave matter-of-factly. _At least she knows my name. That’s something new._

‘’Indeed, you’re very well informed,’’ said Michael. ‘’It’s fine, Adam, you can greet Anna.’’

‘’My Lady.’’ The blond forced himself to be polite.

Anna looked at him sympathetically.

‘’Are you allowed to stand?’’ she asked thoughtfully. ‘’Michael, don’t keep him like that,’’ she demanded more firmly. ‘’His knees must be killing him.’’

‘’I’m perfectly happy to let him stand, Anna, but I know the great deal of people in this room won’t see kindly to it.’’

‘’Michael I knew wasn’t afraid to stand up for himself,’’ she remarked sneakily.

‘’I had to learn diplomacy,’’ he countered. ‘’Though, fine. Adam, stand up.’’

The slave did as he was told, however not without some struggling. The Lady was right, his knees were killing him, routine of kneeling for hours taking the toll.

‘’Must be better now, right?’’ She asked with gentle smile.

‘’This was considerate, Miss. Thank you,’’ sighed the young man with geniue thankfulness.

‘’Don’t mention it, you shouldn’t be there in the first place,’’ she replied before turning her all attention back to Michael.

‘’Where did we stop before that? Oh, yes, Cas. He wrote to me and was quite enthusiastic, even if a tad surprised.’’

‘’Thank you for your effort, but you don’t need to sugar coat it. I know he was extremely surprised. It was like ‘’Look everyone, Michael has a heart, who would have thought.’’ By the way, I didn’t know you still keep in touch with Castiel, after your falling out.’’

Anna tucked a strand of fiery hair behind her ear.

‘’As you’ve mentioned before, Cas and I were just kids when we fell in love. A childish infatuation, nothing more, even if back than we both treated it rather as a whirwill romance.’’

‘’Oh, you did and made it clear to us all,’’ laughed Michael. The slave didn’t remember when last he had seen him so carefree like in this moment.

‘’Anyway, some time after our break up the emotions subsided, we decided to act civilly and something resembling friendship appeared between us. Nothing romantic, this is the stage is closed.’’

‘’I’m assuming you’re still single?’’

‘’Yes. I’m actually looking for the man right now, but please don’t spread these news. It can lower my chances.’’

‘’Anna, I swear, nobody so sweet and beautiful as you can have a problem with finding a suitable partner.’’

Adam didn’t like the way this conversation was going in any bit.

‘’We don’t have a good times when it came to the marriages in the family, didn’t we?’’ carried on the brunette. ‘’ I’m still single, to begin with, Raphael doesn’t show the slightest interest in marrying, just as well as Castiel. Who would have thought that actually Lucifer and Gabriel would be the one to settle in first.’’

‘’Oh, yes. This is such a pity I didn’t make it to Gabriel’s wedding.’’

‘’There’s no use to cry over the spilt milk. I’m certain you did your best to arrive. By the way, who would have expected a woman such as Kali would marry him?’’

‘’Definitely not me. We all love Gabe, but you know the way he is can be too…’’

‘’Overbearing? Immature?’’ Suggested helpfully Michael.

‘’Gosh, yes, he’s so fun-loving and cheerful and obviously has a heart of gold, but some of his tricks...’’

She didn’t finish the thought, but the Lord caught up the message anyway.

‘’I couldn’t agree more with you.’’

‘’Apparently opposites really attract,’’ remarked the red-head, but Adam couldn’t tell whether she was referring to Gabriel and his wife or to Michael and herself. ‘’What about you, Michael? It’s been awfully quiet in this department after things went sour with Naomi.’’

‘’Oh, Naomi, yes,’’ winced the nobleman. ‘’Maybe it’s selfish, Anna, but I couldn’t just stand a though about being trapped into loveless marriage, even for the House of Milton. I’ve cut it, luckily before it started to be serious.’’

‘’Why did you even started seeing her?’’

‘’I was suggested she’s a proper Lady from a good family. I was getting older and older, my previous relationships didn’t survive, I was sick and tired with questions about the heir.’’

‘’Gosh, people are sometimes such matchmakers, aren’t they?’’

‘’Yes, exactly. At least after Kelly bore Lucifer the son, these questions maybe not ceased, but their number greatly decreased, thankfully.’’

‘’At least that.’’

They moved to the more secluded room, the one with soft armchairs and tables for a few people and continued they chatter for the rest of the night. Adam landed next to Master’s feet on the plush carpet. He wasn’t subjected to kneeling, he had a comfortable sitting spot, he wasn’t looked at with scorn and curiosity, he wasn’t verbally humiliated and Michael was finally content , so it should be the best night since the arrival to Eden. The slave, however, felt a mixture of grief and resignation. What he dreaded had just happening in front of his eyes and all he could do was to watch.


	19. Chapter 19

Despite the exhaustion Adam slept fitfully, tossing erratically and woke up rather sore. His head was pounding and he didn’t feel any bit rested, but all things considered he had it much worse in the past, so he just forced himself to get up. No use staying in the bed another morning. It wouldn’t have helped anyway.

As he was already washed and dressed, he hesitantly pushed the door to see Michael sitting at the coffee table, sipping the coffee, buried deep in thought over some documents.

‘’What are you doing, Mike?’’ He asked instead of usual greeting.

The nobleman raised his head.

‘’Oh, hi. You’re early today.’’

‘’I couldn’t sleep,’’ replied the blond, not even lying.

‘’Well, that makes two of us. I’m looking over something. I’ve been asked for a few favors and trust me, refusing to do what I might isn’t wise in our situation.

The blond chose his next words carefully.

‘’You think they can….cause difficulties?

‘’Maybe yes, maybe no…Probably not, but I’m not risking it. Except that, it’s not hard for me to grant them what they’re asking for.’’

‘’Of course…’’ Muttered Adam, realizing a second too late it sounded rather acerbically.

‘’Ads, what’s going on?’’ There’s a unmistakable trace of concern in the Lord’s voice as well as his eyes, making the slave feeling almost guilty for causing that. ‘’You’re acting a bit off recently.’’

‘’I’m sorry,’’ replied the slave automatically. ‘’Don’t mind it.’’

‘’Don’t be sorry, just tell me what’s going on and maybe I can fix it.’’

Michael’s tone was almost pleading, soft, so full of worry.

_No, you can’t,_ thought Adam sadly. _I’m not doing this to you. You keep calling me a brat, but I’m not enough of the one to ruin your happiness._

‘’I doubt you can,’’ he eventually uttered. At least this part was true. ‘’It’s just the lack of progress. I feel like if I were running in hamster’s cage. It’s like the road to nowhere.’’

‘’Don’t lose hope,’’ tried to comfort him the older man, even if the slave could have seen he was faking optimism too. ‘’King Chuck isn’t seeing anybody recently. It’s not just about us.’’

_About us. How simple and natural it sounded. Michael had spoken these words as something obvious. He presumably didn’t even realize it. However, soon, there will be no us._

Despite the stream of gloomy thoughts, Adam put on the brave face.

‘’At least you don’t have to go anywhere tonight, right?’’

‘’Oh, yes.’’ The nobleman’s face lit up. ‘’Anna is coming. At least one good news recently.’’

_Speak for yourself._

‘’How long do you know each other?’’ Adam did his best to sound casual.

‘’Anna is my distant cousin. She’s a Milton as well and when she was younger she lived for a while in my home,’’ explained the older man, signing something on the sheet of paper.

‘’She’s really pretty and refined,’’ noticed the blond.

‘’Yes, she grew up to be a very fine Lady, though I’m sure her temperament is still out there,’’ agreed Michael. ‘’Her relationship with Castiel was brief, yet turbulent. Since that time I’m absolutely convinced the stereotypes about fiery red-heads are more than stereotypes. They’re the truest truth.’’

‘’She made quite an impression on you yesterday,’’ remarked the boy in fake-nonchalant tone, dying inside from curiosity.

‘’She’s indeed remarkable, especially when you see how she changed. It’s like a little sister growing up.’’

Little sister? Adam needed a while to think it over. It was quite a surprise.

‘’I won’t disturb you for a while,’’ he said. ‘’I’ll be generous and let you work without interruptions.’’

‘’How noble of you,’’ replied Michael with a hint of amusement. ‘’It would be dead boring without you here.’’

_You may change your mind sooner than you realize, Mike._

Okay, Michael wasn’t interested in Anna now, but soon he would change his mind. It wasn’t that Adam had something against her personally: she was beautiful, smart, high-born, spirited. For the time being Lord Milton saw her as a dear relative, but the slave knew from experience women had their mysterious ways to change that.

Adam didn’t want to be a road block in Michael’s way to happiness, especially because of his selfish desires. Maybe Anna would let him stay, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. He sighed internally, knowing he was just deluding himself. So far, she was nothing but kind to him, but so far he wasn’t a threat. He laid on the bed once again, mindlessly staring at the ceiling.

Why and how Michael did become so important to him? Back in the streets he barely acknowledged somebody like Lord Milton existed. Maybe a piece of abandoned newspaper announcing Michael’s victories might have caught his eyes, but that was it. He probably shrugged indifferently and walked off to take care of the more important things, like finding something to eat. Then a miracle happened, but not much later, in the kitchen, he didn’t care about gossiping about the distant figure known as Master. He was so rarely seen that it made him almost unreal. He definitely didn’t expect that one day he would actually talk to the Lord, care about him, miss him, that Michael would be a part of his world, that he would be happy to have him round. In the convoluted way Michael equated safety, support and stability, understanding, faith and hope for a better tomorrow.

Adam curled himself in the ball, wrapping his arms around his chest and knees. One time, one fucking time things started to get better in his life, they were soon to be falling apart. There was a myriad of thoughts running through his head like wild rabbits, but there was only one thing we was certain about. He had lost enough, he wouldn’t bear losing Michael as well.

The nobleman found him in this positon a couple of minutes later.

‘’Adam, you haven’t eaten the breakfast yet. Anything particular you want?’’

The boy shook his head weakly, before huddling himself even more tightly.

‘’I’m not hungry.’’

Now the Lord was certain something is wrong. He still didn’t consider himself an expert, in fact he viewed himself to be far from so, but for sure he knew the slaves jumped at the every chance to get something to fill their stomachs and Adam was no exception to that. Of course, his refusal to eat might have been the result of him not really being hungry, as well as the fact he was sure nobody would restrict his food, so Michael would view this reaction as the success in other circumstances, a big one, but in connection with blond’s generally apathetic state it didn’t bode well for the future. The nobleman had grounds to worry that it might be a start of something worse than just a few bad days everybody was entitled too from time to time. He sat gingerly next to the young man and reached out to stroke his hair lightly. Adam shuddered, but didn’t protest verbally. Once again, the Lord didn’t know whether it was a good or bad sign.

‘’Adam, I’m…,’’ the brunette took a breath before finishing the sentence. ‘’Worried about you. Please don’t be depressed.’’

_Worried_ was an euphemism, since Michael was scared sick about his companion’s wellbeing. He also knew how unreasonable his plea was, considering that if Adam’s state really was the indication of something more serious coming, the boy wasn’t responsible for them and couldn’t just get better by a sheer strength of will and the Lord was certain that the latter wasn’t something the young man had in scarcity.

The blond chuckled mirthlessly.

‘’It’s not like I can go to the counselor.’’

‘’At least you dry sense of humor is back.’’ Michael tried to lift the mood. ‘’Eat something up. Please?’’

‘’Just for you,’’ muttered back Adam, but at least pulled himself to a sitting position. ‘’Am I worth all this attention, oh mighty Lord?’’

‘’You are,’’ answered the nobleman seriously. ‘’Well, now I can tell you’re better.’’

The boy smiled half-heartedly.

‘’I’ll try not to scare you like that in the future.’’

‘’You’d better,’’ growled Michael in mock-stern tone.

The ginger nobleman arrived in the evening as promised, dressed more casually than the last day, but looking at her immaculate outfit and makeup Adam still couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry. Despite this, he was on his best behavior, surprising himself even more than Michael. Anna was rather likeable individual, so it in the end of the day it wasn’t even that hard as he expected it to be. If he had to have a Mistress, she would be less painful alternative than the other candidates. At least the Lord would be happy with such a wife, even if she would show her true colors towards the slave with time. For now, however, nothing indicated she wasn’t authentic with how she behaved or what she told them. Adam would love to believe her, to believe that she wouldn’t turn abusive, but the years of experience taught him to always have a healthy dose of carefulness in assessing other’s intentions. He didn’t have much time to do much of the assessment, though, as the Lord and the Lady asked him to let them talk in private. He was extremely curious what happened behind closed door, but decided to be decent enough not to eardrop, no matter how hard it was to keep his interest in check.

Neither Michael nor his cousin had the slightest idea what kind of the internal tortures the young man was going through, as they enjoyed each other company.

‘’Okay, Michael,’’ spoke up Anna, pouring herself a glass of wine. ‘’We can speak freely now. Freeing the slave. Why are you doing this?’’

‘’Because it’s the right thing,’’ answered rather confused Michael.

‘’Okay, but why you are really doing this?’’ She insisted.

‘’I’ve told you the truth,’’ he replied, unbaffled, only to receive the speculative look from the guest.

‘’Oh, so you managed to convince yourself this is the truth?’’

‘’What are you insinuating, Anna? Do you think this aim isn’t worth fighting for?’’

‘’Of course I do. This is noble, dear cousin, and I know you, I know how hard it is for you to step out of your comfort zone. Don’t look at me like that, this is what you are. Anyway, you wouldn’t make such an effort just for anybody, right? There’s something about this slave.’’

‘’He opened my eyes in many areas of expertise, yes, I’m not denying that.’’

‘’Is this all?’’

‘’Probably, yes.’’

‘’Probably? There’s nothing more you can think of?’’

‘’I like him, okay? Is this a weakness? Not many people had been honest with me during my whole life and he wasn’t afraid to voice his own opinion despite his predicament.’’

‘’Yes, I think you like him very much, Michael. Don’t worry, I’m keeping this to myself, but I’m actually happy for you. I don’t think it’s a weakness, I’d rather say it requires a lot of courage.’’

‘’What are getting at, Anna?’’

‘’Oh, dear, you need to come to this yourself. I’m saying no more. I wish you luck with your case. You’ll have my full support before the King, of course. We both know freeing a slave is unheard of, but that’s maybe because nobody else tried before you. I’ve got a hunch it’s going to be fine. You’ll have your happy ending, cousin.’’

‘’Thank you, Anna, we’ll need every bit of support we can gain, especially that so far we’ve got a only a stalemate. I think Adam has a hard time recently, with that lack of progress.’’

‘’I’m keeping my fingers crossed for King finally taking some interest. His lack of interest is unusually long.’’

‘’Good to hear it wasn’t only my notice. I’m worried it might not end well. He may as well be pretty disinterested in everything after coming back to ruling except absolute must.’’

‘’Or he might be enthusiastic and energetic. Who knows,’’ tried to comfort him Anna.

‘’Yes, who knows. I apologize, I didn’t mean to burden you with my problems.’’

‘’Oh, Michael, it’s not a problem at all. Don’t worry, I’m here for you, if you need a hand or a sympathetic ear.’’

‘’I’ll keep that in mind, cousin.’’

Anna tactfully changed the subject in order not to upset Michael even more with dwelling on previous. He had enough on his plate, definitely too much for one person, and the last thing she wanted was burdening him with more concerns. Before leaving the apartment she checked up on Adam, who was lying in bed but still was awake.

‘’Hi,’’ she said. ’’I just wanted to say goodbye.’’

The boy raised his brow with a tinge of amusement.

‘’Nobody cares about being civil to slaves, Miss.’’

‘’Maybe not to average slaves, but it’s obvious to everybody intelligent enough that you’ve got a special place in Michael’s mind,’’ hit back the red-head.

Adam’s heart froze. It was happening, oh no. Now she would tell him about her objections, subtly as can be, but straightforward enough for him to catch the allusion. No matter how delicate she could be, it would still hurt so terribly. He realized he was barely breathing, so high-strung and anxious.

‘’It’s so good you two found each other,’’ carried on Anna, unware of these frantic train of thoughts. ‘’I’m happy for both of you. See you round, Adam.’’

Okay, that was unexpected. For the unknown time the slave didn’t know what to think. Every time he assumed he had learnt to more a less navigate in this world of elite something bewildering happened.

‘’I like her,’’ he told the Lord later, before going to sleep.

The convoluted way to say _If I’m to have a Mistress let it be her,_ but Adam couldn’t bring himself to be so straightforward with his Master _._

These last words, however…Still echoing in his head…Was it possible that Anna wasn’t interested in Michael romantically? The brunette had all the traits of perfect partner, after all.

The next morning Michael disappeared without the trace, probably leaving while Adam was still sound asleep after the tiring events and didn’t come back at his usual hour. At first the blond was calm, even if a bit lonely and irritated, but as the hours passed, his nervousness arose. What if something happened to his favorite Lord? What is happened something so grievous even Michael was helpless against it? What if his actions promoted his enemies to act? What if someone really dared to lift a hand against Lord Milton?

The myriads of _What ifs_ were running through Adam’s head as he was growing restless.

The clock was ticking and Michael wasn’t coming.

What will happen to Adam if he had lost his Master?

He didn’t want to check this theory. The wave of nausea coming over him was getting harder and harder to ignore. Maybe Anna would take care of him, if she was indeed decent enough. The blond wasn’t optimistic enough to believe she would do it because of him, but maybe she would for Michael…Or maybe he would be passed to Lord’s closest relative, hopefully Castiel…

Adam couldn’t bear it anymore. He was staying obediently in the quarters as ordered, but this one time he had to break the rules.

For Michael’s sake.

And for the sake of his own sanity.

Because he would go crazy from not knowing. There was nothing he hated more than not knowing.

Except the loss of freedom.

He pushed aside the shy voice in his mind telling him that maybe he should rather stay in the safe place. He would just make a look around, no harm done. He would stay close to the quarters. He would be careful.

He pushed the door handle with a brave face, despite the sickening feeling in his stomach. He needed to fight with his doubts, just like Michael.

He indeed took a few steps and no one paid any attention. Breathtaking surroundings, without doubt. Such a pity it wasn’t the good time to admire this architectonical miracle. He mused on whether Mum would be proud if she knew he had a chance to see it all, despite the suffering he had been through.

Okay, where might Michael be? He would just go down the corridor and look round, as if he belonged in here. Fake it till you make it. Just go, nobody would question your presence here if you acted natural.

Adam really wished to follow his own advice as he strolled through the place, but he froze on the spot the moment the half-mocking, half-cruel voice asked from not far.

‘’Well, well, well. Who do we have here? A slave?’’

The young man did his best to looked submissive but in the same time not guilty. After all, he had a facade to keep.

‘’I have the right to be here, sir,’’ he answered neutrally, keeping his head slightly lowered, though glancing nervously at the guard, who in returned looked at him the way predator looks at the victim.

‘’I doubt so,’’ he said, taking a step into Adam’s direction. ‘’I doubt so very much. You’re coming with me.’’

It took Adam a second to decide whether to fight or flight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O-o. Wasn't it obvious Adam would get himself into trouble sooner or later?


	20. Chapter 20

The flight sounded tempting, oh, how tempting, especially considering the fact Adam was generally rested, well-fed, in good health, fit and knew how to run fast, even if recently he might have been a bit out of practice. Still, realistically weighing his chances, he could probably manage to run away back to his rooms and leave this guy behind and then wait whether the guard would dare to storm the nobleman’s apartments. Probably not, but, on the other hand, if he assumed the slave was hiding there without permission, he might risk it, in the grounded faith he was just fulfilling his duty.

This solution might have been worth a shot, but there was one factor that discouraged him from trying. He had been outnumbered before, this was what Henriksen was glad to emphasize during the trail,

_He’s dangerous, Your Justice, we had a lot of trouble catching him, I had to send a few people and it still was the hassle,_

but these guards were undoubtedly highly trained and so and in addition, this one could call for somebody to aid him in the second.

Adam had to try with another approach.

‘’Look, Mister Guard, if I weren’t supposed to be here, how had I came so far along?’’

The other man didn’t seem happy with this, rather the opposite.

‘’You’re talking too much,’’ he growled.

‘’I belong to Lord Milton,’’ blurted quickly the slave. ‘’Ask him.’’

‘’Oh, I will, but not before you’re in dungeons,’’ announced the guard solemnly.

‘’But…’’ started to speak again Adam.

‘’I’m not interested in listening to the slave,’’ snapped the guard. ‘’We’re going.’’

The panic started to flood the boy’s mind, intensifying as the man took out the handy set of cuffs, enough to transport an unfortunate convict to the cells.

‘’Please, sir, I don’t want any trouble,’’ pleaded the blond urgently.

‘’You should have thought about that before,’’ responded the other man viciously. ‘’Don’t make your situation worse.’’

Flight was out of the question, sweet-talking didn’t work too. One option left. Fight.

He took a step back to strike with the greater impact, but his efforts didn’t bring the desired effect, as the blow didn’t seem to cause much harm to the other man, who seemingly effortlessly pinned Adam’s hands before his back, restraining him at first more as the temporary measure before shackling him for good. Damn, this guy was indeed a pro. Of course he was, he served the King after all and Adam was just a street smart kid who knew how to keep the other street kids away from him, but wasn’t the match for the fully trained guard.

‘’Let me go,’’ demanded the boy, fire in his eyes, struggling helplessly, as the guard didn’t bother to order him to walk on his own, probably quickly assessing the hand-on approach would be the more effective in bringing the wrongdoer to the cell.

‘’Let me go,’’ repeated the blond through gritted teeth, receiving the slap as the only response. He noted dully this shouldn’t have caught him as the shock, it was a usual type of treatment, after all, but during his time with Michael it was easy to forget about that.

Not attempting to run anymore (the iron grip on his collar would made it futile anyway), he let the man to drag him along to the lowest level of the palace, not resembling in the slightest the higher floors. One wouldn’t expect a place so posh and elegant would contain the less-flashy rooms like that. However, after the second though Adam decided it was probably reasonable, to have some emergency cells in the cases like, well, his.

As they reached the destination (which the slave didn’t find enjoyable in the slightest bit, but this time he actually managed to guess rather correctly how it looked like before seeing it, so not a big shock here), his tormentor asked his fellow college, not lessening his hold on the young man for a second:

‘’Hey, mind opening the door for me? I’ve got a miscreant here in the dire need of being taught a lesson.’’

‘’With pleasure,’’ answered the asked, stern-looking, middle-aged man.

Click of the keys, the cell doors opening with the loud screech and the slave was pushed to the ground. His original captor stepped in only to get the temporary cuffs off him and replace them with more solid ones, than wordlessly closed the door.

It took Adam few minutes to get his eyes to fully see in the relative darkness. He was in the dimly lit dungeon, as the only source of light (and probably the warmth as well) were a few fatigued wax candles. The guards at least had their leather jackets on hand, but Adam wasn’t such lucky as he left to look out for Michael in his casual clothes and didn’t predict to land himself in the chilling cold for the hard to tell how long.

The last thing he expected when he woke up that morning was ending up chained to the stony, wet, cold wall, cuffs around his wrists and ankles and generally having more mundane troubles than musing about whether Michael would marry or not (which still was disconcerting, but not half as much as being locked up).

Being so heavily shackled was a strange feeling, almost as if he was an overgrown dog. No, not appropriate metaphor, the dogs had it better. Even if they were kept on the chains, at least their movements weren’t as restricted as his, as he rather found himself in resemblance with a trussed turkey.

The thought he had brought him upon himself, because of his rash and unwise actions, was even worse than physical inconvenience. Not an hour ago he had believed he was free from being shackled ever again. What a naiveté, he should have really known better. In this very moment all that what Michael was doing, his whole quest seemed like an illusion. A beautiful dream, but with no chance of becoming reality. Adam almost regretted putting his hopes in something like that. It was high time to understand there was no freedom for him again.

Lord Milton was a noble man, so Adam should have known better and inform him about that beforehand, instead of wasting Michael’s time and shattering his reputation.

The dungeon was generally quiet, until the guy who opened the blond’s cell spoke up.

‘’Don’t you have to go back upstairs?’’

‘’I’d rather stay here. Now this slave is into my custody and I’d rather be the one to deliver him back to the master.’’

‘’Suit yourself,’’ shrugged the first one. ‘’Don’t worry, I will take the good care of this one if you change your mind.’’

The leer in his voice he didn’t even bother to hide sent shiver down the prisoner’s spine, making him wonder whether his pain tolerance had dropped significantly after sleeping in warm bed, on the soft mattress, eating three times a day and so.

‘’I don’t doubt you do, Abraxas,’’ muttered the second one. ‘’I’d just like to have something out of it as well.’’

Great. Adam didn’t count on compassion or something akin to that, but apparently these two weren’t even capable of decency. They didn’t even pretend they’re doing it to help the slave straighten up, which was the cherished motto of all these high-class snobs. The slave never harbored warm feelings towards them, but suddenly he wished to appear at one of the parties, even of his knees. Despite the tears running treacherously down his cheeks, he still glared at the guards in defiance.

‘’A feisty one, huh?’’ Asked mockingly the first one.

‘’Easy, Abraxas,’’ said the second one. ‘’Don’t waste your breath on him.’’

Abraxas hissed something back to his companion, which Adam’s ear didn’t catch, but it didn’t sound friendly.

‘’Not ours to punish,’’ replied the second one in hushed voice, stepping away from the bars.

‘’Yeah and it’s quite a pity, Drexel.’’

Drexel shrugged.

‘’Do you think I don’t wish to beat him to the pulp? Of course I do, but you know, if what he said about Lord Milton is true…’’

‘’Than it’s not worth getting into trouble because of him,’’ finished Abraxas for him. ‘’They’re still plenty other slaves to torment.’’

‘’Exactly. I’d still love to snap his neck, however. He gets on my nerves. A slave should always know his place. If his Master won’t come back for him…’’

‘’We’ll make it up to ourselves. We’ll have so much fun.’’

‘’Maybe his Master would allow us to punish him for him instead of taking care of that himself. These Lords rarely like to get their hands dirty, resorting to overseeing.’’

Abraxas chuckled darkly.

‘’I wouldn’t complain, more fun for us, if so.’’

At least at this moment Adam wasn’t actively tortured, but the conditions and the suffocating fear were bad enough. He hugged his knees tighter, resting his forehead on them, huddling for the warmth. He was involuntarily quivering and had an uneasy feeling that when he would be outside this damned dungeon it would take him weeks to get himself warm again.

When, not if.

This is what he repeated himself, what he wanted to believe in, because Michael was all right and Adam had panicked for no reason. Maybe the worry about the only person in the whole world who cares about you does that to the man. Or maybe he just fabricated an excuse to get out of his rooms, because it was becoming too suffocating and he started to feel like a trapped animal in the cage. Rather ironical, considering where it got him.

Michael would come for him. He had to. They had been in this together, went too far already to ditch their great plans. Or maybe the Lord had finally realized how much trouble the slave was. Maybe he already started to plan the future with a strikingly beautiful red-head and even without her coaxing he realized that the great opportunity to get rid of Adam had just landed into his lap.

No, Adam couldn’t lose hope. He had it worse. Or did he? Sitting in the King’s dungeons seemed to be a new record for him. It would almost make him laugh if it wasn’t so upsetting.

He had to believe. Believe in his lucky star, in the justice in this world, that after bad times came good ones, believe in Michael. He just had to, because otherwise the stay here would be double torture.

These doubts were by far the worst torture that could have been imposed on him and he was doing it to himself.

He couldn’t tell how long did it take until he heard the footsteps. It felt like eternity, especially in the freezing cold, but in reality it couldn’t have taken more than a few hours, maybe even less. While sitting in the dark and damp place time could have easily turn into something relative for Adam. He got himself in the almost lethargic state, sitting in the curled up position in order to persevere the warmth, but after hearing the familiar voice, he immediately sprung up his head.

So he came, he came. Despite his predicament the slave wanted to sing and dance with joy. Soon this ordeal would be over, but not before Lord Milton would give these two an earful.

Michael approached the cell slowly, without any indication he wanted to rescue the young man as soon as possible.

‘’My Lord,’’ said Drexel respectfully. ‘’This slave claims to belong to you.’’

‘’Yes, he’s mine,’’ said the Lord indifferently.

 _Yours, Mike,_ pleaded Adam silently with his eyes. _Take me home._

The nobleman studied the slave from the better side of the bars in silence for the prolonged while. Something was wrong. Why Michael just didn’t tell them to let him loose and forbid them to lay the hand on Adam again?

‘’What did he do?’’ Asked Michael.

‘’I’ve caught him alone on the corridor, My Lord,’’ quickly replied Drexel, straightening up before the visitor.

‘’In the corridor?’’ Brunette looked positively surprised and the young man suddenly felt his cheeks burning from shame.

‘’Yes, My Lord,’’ confirmed the guard dutifully.

‘’I could have sworn he knew better,’’ deadpanned nobleman, glancing at Adam questioningly.

The slave understood. Oh, how dumb of him. Of course the nobleman had to keep up the appearances. Just a few more minutes and this charade would be over.

‘’Adam?’’ Asked the Lord.

‘’It’s the truth,’’ answered the blond on the unvoiced question. ‘’I’m sorry, Master.’’

The last sentence sounded rather miserably. He could have seen Master was upset about his behavior, but he was genuinely sorry.

‘’I think he had enough of this,’’ said Michael, turning to Drexel and Abraxas. ‘’I’ll handle this from now on. Open the door.’’

Drexel grunted before sharing one more information with already not thrilled Lord Milton.

‘’My Lord, that’s not all you should know about.’’

‘’Yes?’’

‘’When I apprehended him, he tried to hit me and run,’’ explained the guard.

Michael instantly turned back into Adam’s direction.

‘’You attacked the freeman?’’

If the Lord wasn’t content before, now he was simply cross. The anger radiating from Michael was so real it actually crossed blond’s mind the previous behavior of his Master might have been more than just an act.

‘’You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, slave,’’ growled the nobleman, taking the silence as the admission of guilt.

The young man whimpered pathetically, not sure himself whether it was only an act to fool the guards.

‘’I don’t think you’re going to enjoy the consequences,’’ said Michael very slowly, but in the same time extremely menacingly.

Adam fought with the urge to vomit. For the first time since he was caught, he was actually, really scared. He hadn’t ever suspected Michael can be so formidable.

‘’My Lord, this is such a relief to know he’ll be disciplined properly,’’ sighed Drexel.

‘’Rest assure, he will be,’’ promised Lord Milton flatly.

‘’I’m so glad you’re not letting him get away with that only because he’s a bed slave,’’ carried on the guard.

‘’I’m what?’’ Blurted out Adam before he could have stopped himself. The shackles clicked sharply as he moved abruptly.

‘’He’s not, but even if he was it wouldn’t be your concern,’’ replied Michael coldly, without sparing as much as the glance on the startled slave.

‘’I’m sorry, My Lord, I assumed…’’ apologized the man nervously.

‘’You assumed? Stop making assumptions then, because they aren’t your strong suit,’’ bereted him the Lord. Adam could have virtually catch the angry vibes radiating from him and he was indeed extremely glad in this very moment he wasn’t on the receiving end of this wrath. ‘’Care to explain on which unsubstantiated traces did you make you assumption?’’

The guard admired his heavy combat boots instead of speaking.

‘’Well?’’ Prompted him Michael sharply. ‘’Maybe I should assume you deem my disciplinary methods lacking?’’

‘’My Lord, I would never…,’’ started to justify himself the guard, but the brunette cut this upcoming tirade with a move of his hand.

Drexel’s hands were trembling and he generally looked like if he was about to transform himself into the terrified goo. Adam would be rather satisfied, a not-really-noble desire for vengeance kicking in, if he wasn’t so frightened himself.

‘’Spare me that pathetic nonsense and uncuff my slave. I don’t desire to spend another minute in these accommodations,’’ ordered the Lord high-handily. ‘’I’d rather work on slave’s attitude without straining myself unnecessarily.’’

Drexel didn’t need another incentive to unshackle Adam as quickly as he could, but the Lord didn’t even bother to watch this.

‘’Master,’’ tried the fair-haired man shyly after stepping out of the door, his lower lip wobbly, but Michael cut him off immediately.

‘’Not a word,’’ he growled.

A single tear rolled down on the slave’s cheek.

‘’Save this fake tears for yourself, because I’ll make sure you produce enough real ones later,’’ said the nobleman unpityingly. 

Adam couldn’t stop them, however, as nothing he had heard consoled him, rather the opposite, and his sobs instead of quieting intensified.

‘’That’s enough,’’ decided the Lord in the tone clearly indicating even a slightest trace of disobedience wouldn’t be tolerated. ‘’Upstairs and better make it quick, before I’ll change my mind and leave you here.’’

This wasn’t the threat that needed to be repeated. As Michael took a dignified stride, the slave scurried two steps behind him. The moment they left the dungeons, Adam, still weak-kneed, felt marginally better, glad to finally see the light, even if it was only pale moonlight shadow, filling the corridors with serene glow.

‘’Master,’’ he whispered desperately.

‘’Later,’’ muttered the brunette, putting the hand on the slave’s arm and pushing him not too roughly being himself in the direction of their quarters.

As they arrived the Lord double-checked the door are closed, than run his hand through his jet black hair and in the end sent the slave an undoubtedly stormy glare.

‘’Name one reason I shouldn’t strangle you here and now with my bare hands.’’

Adam couldn’t come up with any.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t wait to write this chapter literally from the beginning of the fic. I wanted to show Michael’s other side so much 😅


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chronologically it starts somewhere at the end of the last chapter, so we’ll see now what exactly was Michael doing that evening before fetching Adam.

Michael was already half the way back to the quarters when he was approached by young, thin, pale-skinned man, with countless freckles on his nose and cheeks, wearing standard servant uniform.

‘’I apologize for disturbing you, sir, but excuse me, sir, are you Lord Milton?’’ he asked shyly, tying hard not to stutter, bowing respectfully.

‘’Yes, that’s me,’’ answered Michael in a beat.

‘’I’ve got a message for you, My Lord. The King requires your presence.’’

The first thought that appeared in nobleman’s head was _It’s about time,_ but then it come to him that Chuck might have called for him for completely different reason. Still, this was a push, considering the time of standstill and a much-coveted chance to steer conversation in the right direction.

‘’When shall I come to see him?’’ He asked.

‘’Immediately, My Lord,’’ answered the freckled man. ‘’In his personal quarters.’’

Not the first time Michael was invited there, so not a big surprise. It was rather a good sign, a signal he was still in the King’s good graces.

‘’Of course,’’ he replied stoically, despite the rising nervousness. ‘’I’m coming.’’

He looked moderately presentable, good enough to see his fellow nobles, but not the King. However, he didn’t want to keep Chuck waiting for a couple of reasons. First of all, nobody, even him, wasn’t so reckless and convinced about his position enough, to show disrespect by arriving late. Next thing, he couldn’t have a guarantee that King won’t change his mind soon, judging by how emotionally labile he recently proved to be. Besides, Chuck was never one for much of ceremony, especially at the closed meetings. He knew how to make an impression when he wanted to, but Lord Milton had every reason to believe this wasn’t this time. So he changed the direction and went straight to the royal apartments, the most lavish and most guarded place in the whole Enochia. He, however, had an open entry, as none of the guards or flunkies did more than bowing and stepping out of his way.

‘’His Majesty awaits you, My Lord,’’ greeted him the neatly combed and dressed servant in his early twenties. His black boots were so polished that Michael could have almost seen his refection in them. Despite his understandable jumpiness the boy beamed with pride of chosen to serve the King despite his relatively young age. It was so touching that it almost made the nobleman slobber over this, but Mike had more important matters to attend.

‘’Open the door, than,’’ he replied shorty. ‘’Let’s not keep our King waiting, shall we?’’

The servant nodded fervently.

‘’Of course, My Lord.’’

So much subservience, so bright opposite of Adam, but living with somebody so meek would be dead boring and completely uninspiring. This boy right here viewed service as honor, while Adam would be mighty offended if Michael would even suggest him that serving might be treated as such. However, maybe even Adam would see it in the different light if it was about service to the King. Adam as the royal doctor, repeating the King for the countless number of times again and again to pursue a more healthy lifestyle, than sighing heavily, because Chuck of course wouldn’t listen and trying to fix what was left to be fix, this picture might have actually had a potential.

The boy announced arrival of the nobleman and after a jovial voice prompting Mike to come in boomed, sparing the Lord waiting the boy to return and give him a sign it’s okay to enter, so Michael just did as he was told.

No matter how many times he found himself in these walls, he couldn’t help but marvel at the decoration and he had a lot of comparison, having seen a lot of impressive palaces and mansions, including his own and the ones belonging to his family as well as more distant relatives. He forced himself not to be captivated by that architectonical wonders and fine pieces of art, instead shifting all his focus on his soon-to-be interlocutor.

King Chuck didn’t change much since Michael had seen him the last time, except his hair and beard becoming more grizzled. He had the same warm eyes and easy smile, but there was something that refrained the Lord from falling for this display of unconditional kindness fully, a little hunch warning him to be optimistic but careful and play his cards well. Everything suggested the King still showed this unusual negligence in choosing outfits, as he nonchalantly received his guest in the bathrobe. If the said guest didn’t know better, he would have deduced it was the sign that he wasn’t fully healed after his catatonic state, but Mike had seen too much of this loose approach to clothing in the realization of the King, when the latter had his undoubtedly good days, so it wasn’t as much of the shock, however served as the rather good reminder the man he seen as almost the second father for years might be a bit of the wild card.

‘’Michael! My boy!’’ Exclaimed genuinely happy Chuck. ‘’You’re finally here. I missed you.’’

‘’I’m in Eden for weeks, Your Majesty and you haven’t called for me until now. I was afraid I displeased you with something,’’ started Michael a bit formally.

‘’Displease me? Nonsense. Please stop being so official when we’re on our own. We both know you’re not an usual subject, not even an average Lord. I wasn’t in the best shape in the recent weeks, so I refused to see anybody. Now, luckily, I’m better.’’

‘’Oh, I’m glad to hear the cure was found,’’ replied the nobleman, relaxing a little.

‘’Actually, I healed on my own. Anyway, now I’m good, more than good and extremely curious to hear from you. I’ve even dismissed the servants so that we can talk freely and unperturbed so if you wish for the glass of wine, help yourself. It’s been so long Michael. How are you doing? How is your family?’’

Let the storytime begin.

‘’Thankfully, I’ve been doing well, My King. Windom, however is so different from here. Rather tranquil and quiet, though not free from troubles, unfortunately.’’

The nobleman didn’t wish to shower Chuck with what was on his mind right from the start, but wanted to signalize the problem as soon as possible.

‘’Oh, that’s upsetting me greatly. I’d rather not see my favorite Lord bothered by anything. You left to rest, after all.’’

‘’I did, My King, to the extent it almost started to be boring. People there have a completely different activities and viewpoint. I had more than a few occasion to interact with them and show them support.’’

‘’Oh, that’s my boy. I’m so proud to hear that. The transition couldn’t have been easy. You’re used to the completely other scale, after all.’’

Despite the circumstances, Michael was actually happy to talk with the man. He didn’t even know how much he missed him. He had done a lot to earn his acceptance when he was younger and probably the part of this yearning was still somewhere in him.

‘’Thank you for your concern, My King, I had a few moments I wasn’t sure about whether my doings were right, but hopefully, it all turned out well in the end. I’m not ashamed to say I’ve tried my best.’’

The older man smiled benevolently.

‘’No matter how sad it is not to have you here, you’re undoubtedly a valuable assent to the local community.’’

‘’Thank you, My King.’’

Chuck was clearly in good mood and his affection for Michael didn’t lessen, which gave the latter hope he actually stood the chance.

‘’What about Lucifer? Have you heard from him recently?’’ Asked the King suddenly, changing slightly the subject.

Nobleman’s heart stopped beating for the moment.

‘’What did he do this time?’’ He asked quietly, hundreds gloom scenarios going through his head in the short moment. Experience suggested him to expect the worse, especially that Luce was surprisingly collected in a rather long time and his brother knew how hard it might have been for someone with his disposition and temperament.

The King chuckled softly.

‘’Oh, no need to be in distress, Michael. I see your opinion of your brother isn’t the highest.’’

‘’Please, My King, believe me, my wariness in grounded,’’ answered Mike bitterly.

‘’Whatever terrible news you’re expecting, you may breathe easily. I’ve just haven’t heard about him recently and this interested me, because, as you know, his adventures were favorite topic to discuss for many people.’’

‘’I think he finally settled in,’’ answered Lord Milton weakly. ‘’Probably marriage and fatherhood keep him occupied. He had simply grown up.’’

Chuck mercifully didn’t bring up the subject of that Luce had first found out about Kelly’s pregnancy, then proposed to her and they got married as fast as it was possible. In his favor, he made these decisions himself, without anyone putting the pressure on him, even though Michael had strong suspicions behind that stood rather the fact he dreamt about the heir than the real feelings for poor Kelly.

‘’I’m amazed he decided to marry, if I were to be honest with you. I’ve never seen him much as the family man,’’ commented the King.

‘’I have every reason to assume his little family is happy,’’ replied Michael defensively. It wasn’t a lie, he had not reason to suspect otherwise. Paradoxically, Lucifer and his wife made a good pair, balancing one another and both of them loved their son dearly, even if these were two different kinds of love. Maybe the opposites really attracted. For some reason the image of Adam flashed in Lord’s mind, but he pushed it aside.

‘’If you say so,’’ replied the King, but he seemed unconvinced. ‘’He’s your brother after all. You know him the best.’’

‘’He surprised even me, My King,’’ admitted the Lord. He really would like to believe that this is the end of Luce’s adventurous life, but his brother’s previous actions made him understandably careful. Despite their falling out he still loved Lucifer and wished him the best. Besides, he really liked Kelly and was glad to see Jack as his heir, even willing to take the boy in case something happened to his parents, which knowing Lucifer’s wild, rebellious nature and the number of enemies he made in the past wasn’t, unfortunately, unlikely.

‘’I’m amazed how two of you, brothers, so close in age, raised by the same parents in the same circumstances could turn out to be so different,’’ commented Chuck pouring himself a glass of wine.

‘’My King, this is the question I’ve been asking myself since my adolescent years.’’

‘’You know, Michael, I’ve told you this before multiple time, but I’m always happy to remind you I always wished for the son like you.’’

‘’You’re very gracious to me, My Lord.’’

‘’Oh, that’s the truest truth. Now, tell me, how your others siblings?’’

Mike smiled melancholically.

‘’Sometimes I have an impression that my sibling are sorted into two groups: Lucifer and non-Lucifers.’’

This remarks actually seemed to amuse the King a lot.

‘’Yes, this is probably right. So, how are non-Lucifers doing?’’

‘’I’m afraid I haven’t seen them a lot recently, except of Castiel whom I had invited to Windom just before I came here. He’s doing fine, thankfully. He seems happy and I think it’s fair to assume our relationship has improved a bit lately. Raphael is practicing as the healer even if she doesn’t need to, but this is what gives her life the meaning, I guess. She loved this since she was a little girl, so she’s pursuing her dreams. Always been a determined one. Gabriel, as you probably know, got married as well, now he’s expecting a child.’’

‘’What a great news.’’

‘’Yes, we’re all thrilled, but also hopeful that the child will turn out less mischievous than their father.’’

‘’Oh, Michael, I wouldn’t raise your hopes high if I were you, I can’t imagine a child of Michael without a playful streak.’’

‘’Kali is rather serious Lady, My King.’’

‘’This is what makes me sure that Gabriel would try double to steer the kid on what he deems a right track.’’

‘’That’s probably the correct assumption, My King. Only one way to find out.’’

‘’Wait a few years?’’

‘’Exactly.’’

‘’I’m sure your brother will start as soon as possible to raise the little troublemaker from the cradle.’’

‘’Than the little troublemaker will play pranks on the old dad and Gabe won’t be happy being on the receiving end, My King.’’

‘’Or maybe he will be proud of how much of an example he was.’’

‘’And Kali would laugh at him getting outsmarted by his own child. Yes, probable scenario.’’

At this moment Michael decided that was enough of small talk and it was good time to be slowly but relentlessly get to the point. He had to wait enough. He just needed a good introduction, to captivate King’s attention enough, to light the flame of curiosity.

‘’My King, maybe Lucifer and I aren’t so different after all, as I’ve arrived to Eden with a rather controversial idea, which I hope to be groundbreaking and in the best interest of everyone.’’

‘’Well, I doubt Lucifer would even had a slim idea of making an altruistic plan, let alone arriving here only because of that, but don’t keep me in the dark and tell me more, I’m all ears.’’

_Careful, Mike, careful. Every word might be important._

It was hard to find the right words in the beginning, but once he started to talk, the stream of those came freely. At first it was the general talk about the system as the whole, about injustice, distortion and misinterpretation, about second chance and the punishment fitting the crime rather than overly severe one, about the general conditions (he had to admit to himself he got that focused on Adam that he might have neglected taking care of that in the case of his own slaves, but this would be the last thing he would confess to) and lack of supervision. Than he talked a bit about Adam, rather scarcely, trying his best not to suggest this quest has at least partially personal character. Despite his effort to sound restraint, the passion in his voice surprised even him. Maybe it was for the best, because he sounded authentic and devoted and the King actually listened to him with what Michael was fairly sure was interest. He managed to light the spark, now it was up to the ruler whether the spark would transform into the flame.

‘’I’ve never taken you for such a visionary, Michael,’’ said Chuck after his former protégé finished.

‘’I’ve never taken myself for the such as well, My King. However, sometimes one example is enough to take a closer look and change your mind.’’

‘’You’ve got a big heart, Michael. You surprised me with such a sensitiveness to what ails our society.’’

‘’Sometimes, in Eden, My Lord, it’s easy to forget Enochia is not only aristocracy.’’

‘’That’s very wise and observant. By the way, I can’t wait to see your boy in person and assess whether he is indeed so reformed as you claim. Not that I don’t believe you, but always good to have an extra pair of eyes. Yes, this is a good topic to be discussed. I like that.’’

‘’My King?’’ Asked the Lord, hope rising in his chest, his blood pressure skyrocketing.

‘’I’ll ask Metatron about the first suitable date. We wouldn’t want to wait any longer than necessary, shall we? Let’s call the Council Meeting.’’

The stalemate had been broken. They had a first success on this bumpy road. King didn’t told him that he will support his claims, but he had shown enough interest and good will to have faith everything should end fine. They had a chance. What a relief, even though was only one battle won and the second, maybe bigger one, was yet to come. Still, he barely could hold his own excitement. He couldn’t wait to inform Adam. He sincerely hoped this would be a soothing balm to the boy’s recent borderline depressive state. Otherwise, he seriously wouldn’t know what to do to cheer him up.

As he left Chuck’s apartments, the same freckled servant who told him about the King’s invitation approached him once again, looking even more troubled than the first time.

‘’My Lord, I’m sorry to inform you, but your slave has been apprehended and is currently being locked.’’

It took a few seconds for Michael to get from cloud nine and face the inconvenient facts. The downfall was understandably rather painful.

‘’Locked?’’ He asked with obvious confusion. ‘’Apprehended?’’

‘’He’s under supervision.’’

‘’Speak straight’’ demanded the Lord. ‘’Where is he?’’

‘’In dungeons,’’ informed him quickly servant, taking a cautious step back.

Definitely not good. Same fact of Adam being held down there was bad enough, but the Lord had no guarantee of whether he was actively manhandled. Probably not, but too much to risk. One way or another, he had to be cool as cucumber and not show more than he intended to, be in control all the time. Okay, one more burning question.

‘’Why?’’

‘’I apologize, but I wasn’t told, My Lord,’’ answered the troubled servant. ‘’I’m just the messenger here, My Lord. Please forgive me.’’

‘’Not your fault,’’ said the nobleman automatically, his entire focus shifted on Adam. No matter what happened, he there wasn’t a single minute to waste.

‘’Shall I show you the way, My Lord?’’ inquired the freckled man.

‘’That won’t be needed,’’ assured Michael coldly and as fast as his dignity allowed him, he headed to the dungeons.

_Oh, Adam, please be safe._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I’m keeping you waiting a bit longer. Sorry not sorry. The much-coveted Michael-Adam little talk comes with next chapter, promise.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you don't get lost, action in this chapter takes time immediately after the end of chapter XX.

Adam couldn’t find the words. The fresh tears of fear and powerlessness started to fall once again within a few hours, the sight which made Michael sigh heavily.

‘’Calm down, Adam, you’re safe.’’

He young man sniveled miserably, apparently not unable to apprehend the meaning of these simple words. The Lord run his hand through his already messy hair, feeling nearly as helpless as his slave.

‘’I’m not going to lie to you, face it, what you’ve done was irresponsible, reckless and I’ve expected you to know better, but you’re in no immediate danger right now and unless you do something so unbelievably stupid again I have no reason to assume it would change.’’

‘’Are you very mad at me?’’ asked the blond in the small voice.

The question had caught Michael off guard.

‘’Wait, this is why are you crying?’’

‘’Yes,’’ sniffled Adam. ‘’I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.’’

‘’I hope so,’’ muttered the Lord. The last thing he wanted was Adam being afraid of _him._ He sighed again, before sitting on the bed. ‘’As I’ve told you, I’m not exactly happy with what you’ve done, but I had to put a show in front of everyone.’’

‘’It looked terribly authentic,’’ pointed out the slave, whose sobbing started to subside.

‘’Well, let me tell you, it was easy to pretend. Not at first, but after I was told what you’ve done. Till that point I was hoping this was all the terrible mistake.’’

‘’It wasn’t,’’ admitted Adam glumly.

‘’I’m sorry for scaring you like that. However, you fucking deserved it. What have you been thinking, Adam?’’

‘’I was worried about you,’’ sobbed the young man again.

‘’About me?’’ Repeated the shell-shocked Lord. ‘’Why?”’

‘’You weren’t coming back for hours,’’ explained Adam.

The nobleman felt the rest of his anger melting.

‘’Oh, Ads, I was fine. More than fine, I’ll tell you everything later.’’

Before Michael finished this sentence he found himself with arms full of rather spooked slave seeking for comfort.

‘’If I had known being locked in dungeons would subdue you so much, I would have done that long time ago,’’ he attempted to joke.

‘’Not funny,’’ muttered the young man against his arm. Nobleman kept rubbing reassuring circles on his back until he finally composed enough to slip away on his own accord.

‘’It was terrible down there, but at least I know that you’ll come for me,’’ confessed Adam. It was only a half-truth, but the Lord didn’t need to know about his thoughts and hesitations. ‘’The rest, that wasn’t generally worse than I had before.’’

The Lord noted he should have asked about that before.

‘’Do you need medical attention?’’

‘’I’ll be fine,’’ answered the blond. ‘’Just…Do we have a blanket around? It was chilling there and I’m still cold.’’

‘’Sure,’’ answered Michael, moving to look out for it. ‘’Here,’’ he throw the fluffy thing at Adam, who caught it up with grace and immediately wrapped up himself from toe to chin. 

‘’I can call somebody up. The King has enough of more than enough medical staff available if needed,’’ offered the aristocrat.

‘’Better if no more people knew about what I’ve done,’’ answered the slave cheekily.

‘’You should have thought about this before,’’ shot back the Lord hard-heartedly. ‘’You funded me quite a rollercoaster today.’’

This time the fair-haired man had at least enough decency to look ashamed.

‘’I’ve already told you I’m sorry.’’

Michael had rubbed his tired eyes.

‘’Okay, Ads, what happened had happened, we can talk about that later. Are you sure you don’t want a doctor? A nurse at least? It’s fine, really. They’ll be discreet.’’

‘’And if not?’’ Inquired Adam, curling up on the bed like a big cat.

‘They will be,’’ promised the Lord ominously. “That I can guarantee.’’

‘’Yeah, that’s something I can believe,’’ muttered Adam in the way that brought a small smile on his Master’s lips. ‘’Still no. As I’ve told you, I’m okay, nothing to be worried about. Besides, as you were kind enough to point out, I deserved it.’’

‘’I didn’t said that,’’ replied Michael defensively. He had told a few harsh thing to Adam be convincing in the eyes of everybody around and by the way to shake him up a bit, but that wasn’t one of them.

‘’You suggested me that rather clearly, not leaving much room for the doubt,’’ explained the blond flatly. The Lord considered calling the doctor for himself, as he had the headache coming inevitably. Though, they were no pills to help him beat this kid of ache. For the numerous time he wondered why he didn’t grab a well-mannered, grateful slave to show him or her to the King and the Council. Or more, why he even started all this in the first place.

‘’Adam,’’ he said slowly. ‘’Listen to me carefully. Yes, I’m angry and disappointed, but this doesn’t mean I enjoyed having you locked up in the cell, in the cold and shackled on the top of that.’’

‘’Please don’t be disappointed,’’ asked Adam, sitting up, still wrapped tightly in the blanket, looking at the brunette pleadingly. There was something in his tone that made the nobleman reflect on whether he had indeed been too harsh.

‘’I’m not angry anymore, okay?’’ He tried, suddenly feeling guilty. The boy said something about being worried about him, after all. He still had to find out the details, but it still was moving.

‘’But you’re still disappointed,’’ remarked the slave, looking at the white wall. ‘’That’s worse.’’

‘’Ads, I…’’

Michael didn’t know what to say to make things better or at least don’t make them worse. He congratulated himself for not saying aloud back the thought that flicked through his head when he still was fuming, the one about a few hours of lockdown serving Adam right. He found himself so embarrassed of something like that appearing in his mind even for a short while. He was no better than Henriksen or Osiris.

‘’Let me see your hands, okay?’’ He tried softly, unsure what to do.

‘’Are you going to tie me?’’ Asked the slave timidly.

‘’What?’’ Exclaimed startled Lord. ‘’Of course not. If your refuse to see a professional, at least let me have a look on you. Besides,’’ he added with a small smile. ‘’I doubt any restraints would manage to keep you away from troubles.’’

Adam snorted.

‘’Let me have a look,’’ asked Michael once more.

‘’It won’t change anything.’’

‘’At least let me try, for my own peace of mind.’’

‘’Okay,’’ muttered the blond, unfolding slowly the blanket and giving his left hand to the Lord. ‘’If you’re so insistent.’’

‘’You’re not the only strong-willed one,’’ commented the nobleman, examining the red marks around the wrist carefully. ‘’That’s why probably we argue so much. Now the other hand.’’

The slave did as he was told, letting Michael gently trace the marks. The Lord did the same with the ankles, before making a final assessment.

‘’You’re going to bruise, but I don’t think there’s much I can do about that.’’

‘’Told you,’’ muttered Adam flatly, as it didn’t feel as triumph.

‘’Any other injuries?’’ Inquired the brunette further.

‘’None,’’ assured him the younger man.

‘’I was originally going to ask whether you’ve got any other injuries I should know about, but that would give you too much leeway to be economical with the truth.’’

‘’I wouldn’t lie to you. I wouldn’t dare.’’

‘’First thing, I didn’t say ‘’lie’’,’’ commented the aristocrat.

‘’What you said was close enough,’’ pointed out the blond.

‘’You dare to do many other things,’’ replied Michael. ‘’I can alleviate those with aloe gel,’’ he added, motioning to the marks.

‘’We’ve got one?’’ Asked suddenly interested Adam.

‘’I can call for one.’’

‘’Great,’’ beamed the slave. ‘’Aloe is the fantastic plant. You should know it’s got many healing qualities. It not only speeds the process of healing but also…’’

‘’Your biology side kicking in again?’’ Interrupted him the aristocrat. ‘’Great, Ads, just not this time. Give me a minute to call for that gel for you and we can finally talk about what you’ve done today.’’

‘’Do we have to?’’ Asked Adam shyly, sending Master his signature puppy eyes.

‘’Yes,’’ replied Michael shortly.

‘’Am I in trouble?’’ Inquired further the slave timidly, wrapping the blanket closer as the literal security blanket.

‘’Ads, the worst is behind you already,’’ assured the Lord. If he was told one day he would end up comforting a boy with a little regard to the rules he would find it a rather funny but highly unlikely scenario, but look where he ended.

‘’No, it isn’t,’’ winced Adam. ‘’You’re disappointed.’’

‘’Wait here, you insufferable brat. You’ll have a chance to explain yourself in a second,’’ answered the nobleman and rolling his eyes he went to instruct the servant about what he wished to have brought to him as fast as possible.

‘’Okay,’’ he said after he came back only to find the slave this the same sorrowful expression of the kicked puppy (why did it made him feel as if he was the guilty one there). ‘’What do you have to say for yourself?’’

Adam told him the whole truth, admitting he might have overreacted the bit, but in the end Michael found his motives rather touching. The blond started to relax finally, but then his Master asked another question.

‘’Okay, but why, tell me why, could you be so stupid and attack a freeman?’’

‘’He started it,’’ muttered the slave stubbornly, even though he knew it wasn’t the best line of defense.

‘’Adam, I’m trying my best to prove that you’re reformed and don’t have a violet bone in your body, a picture of gentleness and a perfect candidate for a law-abiding citizen and you pull a stunt like that?’’

‘’I might have panicked a bit. Besides, he was dragging me to the cell. What I was supposed to do?’’

‘’Adam, did your resistance help you?’’ Asked Mike reasonably.

‘’No, but…’’

‘’Listen, as the soldier I had to learn to choose my battles. Some fights, you can’t just win them. Learn that and we’ll both we happier.’’

‘’You know, I have been on my knees for so long, both literally and metaphorically. Something inside me just snapped,’’ explained downcast Adam.

The Lord found himself on his wits end.

‘’Ads, I’m sorry you have to go through all this, I truly am, but control your nerves and think before acting.’’

‘’I’ve thought before acting.’’

Michael cupped his face gently but firmly.

‘’Than think twice. Don’t sabotage our work, for crying out loud.’’

‘’I wasn’t trying to.’’

‘’I believe you. Just refrain from things like that in the future. It won’t take long from now on. Adam, you’re the young man, but sometimes you behave like a child.’’

‘’Michael, when I look at you I think you were already born adult.’’

To the blond’s surprise, the Lord chuckled.

‘’Actually, you might not be wrong. I think it comes with having four younger siblings. Everybody automatically assume you’re the big guy, the most mature, whole nine yards.’’

In the meantime the gel arrived and Adam had to admit Lord’s big, comforting hands rubbing it into his sensitive skin with care felt really good despite the soreness.

‘’I know I’m not easy to be good at,’’ he whispered, ashamed of how protective Michael was about him despite his scandalous behavior.

‘’Another thing I’ve never said,’’ countered the nobleman.

‘’No, but I know that and you do as well,’’ said Adam, squeezing his eyes shut.

‘’Listen, Ads, you’ve got the good heart and you’re very intelligent, resilient and have a strong feeling of pride despite the circumstances. You should have seen King’s servants. They’re almost afraid to breathe.’’

‘’What?’’ Asked the slave, his eyelids springing open.

‘’I’ve talked to the King tonight,’’ explained Michael. ‘’So please, please don’t mess up things now, when we’re so close.’’

‘’Tell me everything,’’ demanded the slack-jawed younger man.

‘’As you wish,’’ replied the Lord with curtesy and summarized the events of the day.

‘’Oh, Mike, it’s happening,’’ exclaimed excited Adam. The nobleman could barely blame him for being so agitated. ‘’I can’t believe it, it’s finally happening.’’

‘’Yes, these are the great news,’’ he agreed. He gave the boy time to compose himself before ordering in authoritative yet soft voice. ‘’Sit down here. It’s been a long day and I’ve got some letters to write and the moment I let you out my sight you manage to get yourself in trouble. I’m going to make sure you’ll cause no more mischief tonight.’’

‘’Don’t worry about that,’’ murmured the slave, coming closer, resting his head on Michael’s thigh.

‘’It looks like they scared you a good deal,’’ remarked the nobleman.

‘’They guards are complete amateurs in comparison to you,’’ replied Adam, closing his eyes again and leaning for the Lord’s tender touch, as he tousled his fair strands soothingly.

‘’Is it a naïve of me to expect this at least will teach you something?’’

‘’Probably not,’’ answered the slave timidly, already half-asleep, when he remembered about something. He opened his eyes abruptly and nudged the aristocrat with his hand.

‘’Michael, what was that with a bed slave?’’

‘’Nothing,’’ replied Mike quickly. Too quickly.

‘’Michael, I want to know.’’

‘’Whatever was told or suggested to you, I’m not bedding you. End of the story.’’

‘’Is this because I’m the man?’’ Adam was insistent on getting the answer.

‘’So that you know, I’m bisexual, so no,’’ informed him Lord Milton coldly. ‘’I knew it might look like that. I knew it’s easy to assume you’re the bed slave,’’ he added quietly.

‘’And you didn’t tell me?’’

The boy definitely wasn’t pleased about not being informed about something so crucial.

‘’I didn’t wish to impose more on you. You have it hard enough,’’ explained Michael with tired voice.

‘’Why do they think so?’’

‘’Well, I’m keeping you here, with me, I’ve brought you here in the first place, I’m taking you outside, you don’t look malnourished or mistreated and besides, when was the last time you looked in the mirror? You must know how pretty you are.’’

‘’You think I’m pretty?’’ Frowned Adam, thinking hard about this unexpected confession.

‘’Not only me, I’m afraid.’’

‘’So, why don’t you claim your rights to bed me?’’

‘’Please tell me you’re asking hypothetically.’’

‘’Yes.’’

‘’Okay, that’s a relief. To the point, it’s about consent. You can’t exactly consent, so I’m not even asking.’’

‘’I’ve never had problems with saying no to you,’’ mentioned Adam.

‘’I’m not taking a risk,’’ countered Michael, pushing aside the quill. He had such a turmoil in his head that he wouldn’t have been able to write a coherent sentence anyway.

‘’Do you even want to ask?’’ Questioned the boy relentlessly.

‘’Adam, it was supposed to be a theoretical talk.’’

‘’Answer me,’’ demanded the slave.

‘’Adam, this whole conversation is pointless,’’ snapped Michael, whose patience was running pretty thin by that point.

‘’Apparently not, because everybody assumes I’m something I’m not,’’ said Adam, hellbent on getting to know everything with details.

‘’They assume enough things about you that you’re not. That’s only one more. Also, you’re probably lucky the guards took you for a bed slave, because this is why they didn’t rough you up much. They probably thought I’d rather wouldn’t be pleased with you marked and they are obviously right, if for wrong reasons. Trust me, Adam, otherwise there wouldn’t be anything to stop them from beating you.’’

The blond blinked in confusion.

‘’You’re suggesting me it’s a good thing?’’

‘’Adam, just drop it,’’ demanded the brunette sharply.

The younger man decided he had enough of Michael’s ire for one day and what’s more, his adrenaline level dropped rapidly resulting in him becoming rather sleepy.

‘’Okay,’’ he muttered. ‘’Whatever. It doesn’t matter anyway.’’

‘’Exactly. It doesn’t matter anyway,’’ agreed the Lord more calmly. ‘’Now, go to bed. Yours, _not_ mine.’’

Adam listened to him rather reluctantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's one of my favorite chapters :) Quite a lot of happens. Little spoiler: Both Michael and Adam will have some more thinking to do in next chapter.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so nervous posting this chapter, especially after the comments I received below the previous one. It wasn’t easy to write, let me tell you. We’re slowly drifting into the Midam waters, but this may not be the way some of you imagined it would be. There is always that burning topic of consent in Master/slave relationship…Well, I still hope you’re going to enjoy this and let me know in the comments what do you think.

The King was willing to see him, to listen to his plea. The King was open for the changes. What a great news. Adam kept repeating them to himself, still not fully believing what was happening, but after Michael confirmed it wasn’t the dream, it slowly, gradually became real.

‘’We’ll know the date soon,’’ informed him the Lord at the breakfast.

‘’How soon?’’ Asked Adam. On the one hand he yearned to know, but on the other hand there was that rising ball of anxiousness in his chest.

‘’I hope it’s the matter of days,’’ explained the nobleman. ‘’As the King is himself again, thankfully, I doubt he would like to delay it for longer than it has to be. Of course, gathering everybody for the Council might take some time, but almost everybody interested is already in Eden.’’

‘’The constitution of the Council is set?’’

‘’Well, yes, mostly. Shifts happen, but generally everybody has a permanent seat,’’ explained Michael casually.

‘’Including you?’’

‘’Including me. I predict a heated discussion, so prepare yourself for all the seats taken.’’

‘’Oh, Mike,’’ groaned Adam. ‘’Do I stand a chance?’’

‘’This question shall be ‘’Do we stand a chance?’’ and the answer is ‘’Yes, we do.’’ You’ll see with your own eyes.’’

‘’Or die from nerves before.’’ 

‘’You’ll be fine. I’m here for you. Just stay out of trouble,’’ repeated the Lord for the numerous time.

‘’I will,’’ promised the blond.

‘’No going out this time,’’ reminded him the aristocrat.

‘’Mike, I won’t do something like that again,’’ protested outraged slave.

Michael rolled his eyes.

‘’Forgive me for being overly cautious. Ads, I won’t tell it’s going to be easy, because it won’t, but you’ve come so far. Have faith, have patience and do your best.’’

‘’I will,’’ replied Adam glumly.

‘’I thought you’ll be happier.’’

‘’Sorry, I just have so many questions. Of course I’m happy, I just want it to be over,’’ confessed the slave.

‘’Me too,’’ answered the Lord solemnly. ‘’How are you doing except that?’’

‘’I slept through the night, which didn’t happen often recently. I’m good.’’

‘’Why do I think ‘’good’’ has become relative recently. Hang on, kid, it won’t take long.’’

‘’I’m not the kid,’’ protested Adam more mercurially.

A small smile danced on nobleman’s lips.

‘’Good to know some of your fire is still there. How are your wrists?’’

‘’Sore, but healing. Hey, it’s been only one night.’’

‘’Okay,’’ said Michael. ‘’I’ve got to go. Play nice.’’

‘’I’ve told you, I will,’’ assured the younger man once more. ‘’I just need…’’

‘’A while?’’

‘’Yes.’’

‘’You’ll have more than just a while,’’ promised Michael, standing up and squeezing the boy’s arm comfortingly.

‘’I want to be happy,’’ muttered Adam. ‘’I want to be optimistic and to have faith. This is why I came here. I’m just afraid that all I get in the end will be a bitter disappointment.’’

‘’There’s always a risk,’’ said the nobleman melancholically.

The other man shifter nervously in his chair.

‘’I don’t want to be ungrateful, because you’ve done so much for me, more than anyone else in my life.’’

‘’You’re not ungrateful. It’s perfectly normal you have doubts. I’m doing what’s right and I’m nervous too,’’ said Michael in soothing tone.

‘’Not as much as me.’’

‘’You’re fighting for much bigger stake. What do I have to lose?’’

‘’Time and reputation?’’ Noticed Adam reasonably. ‘’You must have been pretty ashamed yesterday.’’

‘’I was too cross to be ashamed,’’ informed him the Lord casually. ‘’Stop beating yourself over that.’’

The slave took a deep breath and asked the next question very slowly, hesitantly, the words coming one by one.

‘’Michael, do you think I have lowered my chances?’’

‘’I hope not.’’

‘’But you don’t know for sure?’’ Inquired the boy. His Master winced, but answered immediately.

‘’I hope the news won’t spread, cause no offence, Ads, but no one really cares here about you.’’

It hurt to tell Adam such things, but that was the whole truth and he decided it was better to inform the slave beforehand instead of risking him finding out from another source, such like with the bed slave thing the previous day. ‘’The guards won’t have much occasion to tell the nobles anyways, so let us hope it won’t change anything,’’ he carried on, hoping it would sweeten the bitter pill.

‘’Okay,’’ sighed somewhat relived Adam.

‘’Don’t take it as the permission to push more boundaries,’’ warned him Michael one more time, perfectly aware of how the boy might react once he felt safe again.

‘’I’m not in the mood to push more boundaries,’’ confessed honestly the slave.

‘’At least that.’’

‘’Michael, supposing I’ll be freed, what will happen to me?’’ Asked the blond seriously, taking a chew of the sandwich.

‘’I won’t throw you to the streets, if that’s what you’re asking about,’’ replied outraged nobleman.

‘’This is what I was asking about. You won’t have any reason to keep me, after all.’’ Adam’s tone implied heavily that he took it as the very probable scenario. Michael didn’t know what to say.

‘’Please, Adam, you have a tendency to ask hard questions. By the way, I’m not keeping you, you’re not the pet,’’ he uttered to answer.

‘’I’m the slave, that’s worse.’’

‘’You’re staying with me, I’m not keeping you. That’s the difference,’’ pointed out the Lord.

‘’Figures.’’

The nobleman finally found his words.

‘’Whatever. The point is, I didn’t came through all this to kick you out. How could you even think so? Adam, this would mean you’ll be back to square one.’’

The other man shrugged.

‘’Sorry, but experience taught me to be always ready for the worst.’’

‘’Ads, please, you might stay as long as you wish. It’s not a problem, I like having you round. You might learn how to be a doctor or whatever else you’re thinking of.’’

‘’Okay,’’ answered Adam remorsefully. ‘’I’m sorry, you’ve been nothing but good to me and I’m asking such questions.’’

‘’It’s fine to ask,’’ replied Michael. ‘’Just…I’m sorry you had it that hard to even think I might do something like that.’’

‘’It’ll be better, right? I just have such a mess in my head right now, hoping for the best, expecting the worst, I just don’t know what to do with myself.’’

The boy was on the verge of tears.

‘’As we established, you need a while. Think it over, all right? I’ll see you in the evening,’’ said the Lord.

‘’Yes, see you,’’ answered the slave emotionlessly, something inside eating him, reminding that he shouldn’t make things harder for Michael.

‘’Oh, one more thing,’’ said the nobleman, turning back a second before leaving. ‘’Do you want to talk to Anna? She must be more objective than me.’’

‘’Oh, no, no, that won’t be needed,’’ protested Adam vehemently.

Michael raised his brow.

‘’I thought you like her.’’

‘’But this doesn’t mean I trust her,’’ confessed the blond.

‘’Why? Or no, don’t answer. Whatever, Ads, whatever. You have every right to be distrustful, with your background. Goodbye, kid, or I’ll be late.’’

‘’Goodbye.’’

Adam was alone, again, just like the good part of his life, as he noted bitterly, even though he knew Michael would be back, that his absence is temporary. He might as well do what he was told and think about his situation. Funny thing, nobody ever managed to break him down enough to keep him away from plotting and waiting for the good moment to rebel and Mike managed to coax him into obedience. However, even being entirely dependent on the Lord’s mercy, it didn’t hurt so much. After the long years of loneliness, it was a nice feeling to have somebody protective around.

So, now was the good time. He had to ask Michael for more details about the whole procedure, because for now he just knew he had to be brave but grit his teeth and play humble. He was reformed after all, it wasn’t like he enjoyed the life he had led before enslavement. He wouldn’t have ever turn to crime if he only had a choice. He tried not to make plans for the future, but it was so hard when freedom was so close, basically in his grasp, making the potential failure even more painful. The majority of the effort was still on Michael, but it didn’t make the whole situation easier for the slave, who always hated to stay passive and feel helpless, especially in something so vital. Despite this, not the first time all he had left was to wait and count on his favorite Lord.

One matter behind, there was the second one, one Michael wouldn’t be pleased to know Adam was dwelling at, but this wasn’t his choice and Adam just had to think over, for the sake of his own peace of mind, because the news were highly disconcerting.

The bed slave. Michael said it was easy to take him for the bed slave. Apparently, people took him for such. The reasoning Mike gave him made sense, even though he wished to had been told earlier. He had a right to know. The longer he mused about it, the more sense it made. Now it was like every elements of the puzzle finally fitted it. This must have been why nobody asked any questions. The thought everybody just assumed Michael was using him like that and accepted it without as much as the blink made him sick. He had known before how much power every master wields over the slaves, but this was the whole new level of possession. No matter what the law said, he would never let anybody hurt him like that, not without the fight. Anybody, not even Michael.

Michael thought Adam was pretty. Michael didn’t exactly answer his question whether he wanted to have sex with him. There wasn’t yes, but there wasn’t no as well. Michael admitted he was bi. There was a not-so-low probability he was interested in Adam sexually, but didn’t indicate it in the slightest because of his morals. The slave sincerely doubted anyone else would be so honorable. Mum would have surely said consent is something sacred, but consent was for free people.

Michael found him attractive and Adam didn’t know how to feel about it. Of course, he was impressed by the Lord’s features almost immediately after he had seen him, despite the fog of terror over his mind that fateful day in the pantry, but never focused much on it. He thought a lot about nobleman’s personality, but never in the romantic context. Stop, it wasn’t about being romantically involved. Adam was the slave and Mike would never think about the relationship with someone like that. If so, it was about the physical aspect only. The question was, whether Adam wanted that?

Being almost fully focused on more basic needs, Adam didn’t have much of the chance to explore his sexuality. Of course, he was a growing boy with loads of questions concerning his changing body (he was too overwhelmed with trauma to relate the changes in his psyche with the stage of life, as he had suffered from more upsetting events), but the was nobody to give him a helping hand, so he just lived through it. There was a girl once, called Kristin McGee, a typical uptown teenager, who was just so pretty and graceful he couldn’t help but observe from the secure spot as she was going to school (always accompanied by an adult, he had never this privilege, even when he was much younger, Mum was too busy and he knew it) or playing with friends, a bunch of the same standing, not nobles like Mike, wealthy commoners, but still the way above Adam. He knew he hadn’t stood a chance with her, even if Mum was still alive and he had a roof over his head. With time his infatuation lessened, as he came to the not-really-welcome understanding she wasn’t an angel, but rather a spoilt brat. Their eyes met only once and judging by the scornful way she looked at him, it was easy to conclude he couldn’t expect sympathy. Good. Even when he had nothing, he still clung to his pride desperately, as the only thing he got left. The more he observed her, the more disillusioned he became and one day he just stopped. After that, he didn’t return to this topic much.

No matter what Michael felt, he wouldn’t do anything, judging by his reactions so far and no matter how Adam felt, it didn’t change everything. Good, because he still wasn’t sure what would he do given the choice. He would like to think about Michael as the friend, but it didn’t seem right as well. Their relationship was unique, a profound bond, or at least it was what he wished it was. Sex without feelings wasn’t his thing and in temporarily his feelings resembled a big mess. Anyway, why somebody like Michael would love Adam? Adam had literally nothing to offer, nothing that would made him even a moderately good party. Exasperated slave fought traitorous tears welling in his eyes. It would be better if he focused on making a good impression in front of the King and then try to get in order with the rest. Baby steps. Maybe something would get clearer with time.

In the meantime, Lord Milton had quite the similar matters to reflect on. It was hard to deny his relationship with Adam fluctuated, shifting into something else it was supposed to be back in the start. Truth being told, in the beginning there wasn’t supposed to be any relationship. Now the nobleman was rather ashamed of his initial behavior, his accusations and lack of sensitiveness, but he hoped that at least he managed to redeem himself a bit in the boy’s eyes.

Michael had more than enough doubts on his own side, but he vowed not to let Adam know exactly how worried he was. The last thing the boy needed was another problem to carry on his shoulders. Poor thing had enough of the turmoil in his head, especially after everything just happened nearly in the same time. Even if was partially to blame for getting himself in trouble, Mike couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He probably didn’t even dream about meeting the King before and now he was to confront not only the ruler, but also the great deal of aristocracy, discussing his case, some of them almost certain to be hostile and reserved, some of them doubtful and who knows what Chuck would decide in the end. Maybe he only let everyone assemble for the sake of the good show, because he was bored recently and that was something new and flashy. Maybe getting Adam the counselor whatever the verdict would be might be a good idea, because, honesty, despite doing his best, Michael constantly felt like he was failing him. Adam was expecting all these terrible things he mentioned before to be done to him, okay, maybe not expected, but still considered the possibility. Still terrible news.

Adam asked the day before whether he was interested in bedding him. A rather obvious question in this situation, but made Michael’s blood freeze for the second. It made him realize he was falling for the blond for weeks and barely even realized it on the conscious level. He wasn’t certain it was love, but for sure it was a growing affection. He had to curb his lusting looks and don’t give Adam any reason to think he might be forced to do obscene things. He had to talk to him, he had to apologize and keep himself in check not to freak out the young man even more. The last thing he wished for was getting him uneasy or indebted, especially with such a power imbalance. Besides, just as the slave, he needed more time to see how the things would develop and focus on the other matters for right now. The King, the Council, he had to have a clear mind, nothing could cloud his judgment. Adam’s fate could depend on that.

Michael was too careful to admit even before himself how afraid he was to reveal his true feelings. Adam couldn’t know. For now. He would tell him in the good moment. Maybe never. Time would tell. He couldn’t risk Adam forcing himself to stay with him because of the ill-understood gratitude or lack of other perspectives. Oh, how overjoyed he would be if Adam was to love him back just because, but after all the bitter disappointments he had doubts he was even able to create a healthy relationship. Besides, he didn’t even know if the slave was interested in men. Maybe after all these ordeal he would only associate the nobleman with bunch of the unpleasant memories, humiliation and pain. Not the most encouraging scenario to stay. Adam always stuck him as the independent one, so it wouldn’t be strange if he chose to leave everything behind as soon as possible and make a fresh start somewhere far form Windom. Finally his own person, on his two feet. Michael closed his eyes. He had to focus on freeing Adam in the first place. He really needed to set his priorities straight.

‘’We have to talk,’’ he said when he came back to the apartments.

‘’I’m listening,’’ nodded the blond, much calmer than in the morning but visibly pale and slightly jumpy.

‘’I’ve been thinking today…Much…I have something to tell you. I’m sorry I made you think I can hurt you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that you might be taken as the bed slave. I’m sorry I’m so terrible at comforting. I should have been honest with you from the start. I tried to protect you, but you’re an adult, you have every right to know. Ads, I seriously don’t know what will happen at the Council. I just have my hopes and predictions.’’

Adam looked at him with solemn and sorry eyes, as if he was the guilty one there, which made the Lord even more depressed.

‘’It’s all right, Michael. You’ve got nothing to apologize for. I’m sorry for being such a nuisance. I’m sorry for putting you in this position in the first place. I’m sorry for being nothing but trouble.’’

‘’You aren’t trouble. Not at all. This all was my idea, remember?’’ Asked the nobleman quietly.

‘’Technically, yes,’’ admitted the blond.

‘’C’mon, Ads, we’ll beat all the potential opponents. Trust me, I’m the fighter. I have experience in this field.’’

Adam’s eyes shone brightly on and Michael had no more doubts about how madly in love in the boy he was.


	24. Chapter 24

The date was set and the closer it got, the more nervous and irritated Adam become. Michael seriously wondered what kind of the terrible crime had he committed to be tested in such a way.

‘’Adam, Adam, calm down,’’ he tried, seeing as the slave was pacing again as the desperate animal in the cage. No matter how big the room both of them were in that moment, it seemed way too small for Adam.

‘’I can’t,’’ snapped the blond, obviously not handling the stress well. Michael could hardly blame him, but it still was just as hard to deal with. ‘’I barely can sleep,’’ confessed the young man. ‘’It’s tomorrow. I’ll go crazy by then.’’

‘’Take a deep breath,’’ advised the Lord. ‘’The waiting is usually the worst part, once it starts it only gets better.’’

‘’Promise?’’ Asked Adam childishly, turning to the nobleman for the confirmation.

‘’Promise. Once the Council starts, you simple don’t have time to worry, because you have to focus on keeping on and reacting adequately, often on the spot. At least try to sleep. It won’t make any good for you to be dead on your feet in the crucial moment.’’

‘’Okay,’’ muttered the blond, still pacing.

_It’s only one day,_ kept repeating Michael to himself. _It must be love, because otherwise I wouldn’t tolerate this. I’m not usually half as patient._

He fell for the slave.

He fell for the former criminal.

He fell for the commoner.

He fell, because how could he stayed immune to such a beautiful human being.

The next morning was even worse. Adam looked impeccable, not the hair out of place, even though suitably humbly, but his eyes betrayed the uneasiness and apprehension. The Lord yearned to hug him out and assure everything would end well, but he didn’t want to risk losing his own composure.

‘’Michael?’’ Whispered the young man anxiously.

‘’Yes?’’

‘’I’m scared,’’ he admitted, fiddling with the hem of the tunic.

Michael moved behind him and rubbed his shoulders comfortingly.

‘’It’s okay to be nervous.’’

‘’I’m not nervous. I’m scared. I’m so terribly scared that I admitted it aloud. What have I been thinking, believing I’ve got the chance? This must be when I hit the bottom.’’

‘’It’s okay, Ads. You have a chance.’’

‘’No, I don’t and I’m not okay,’’ huffed the blond. ‘’It’s your fault. You make me feel vulnerable.’’

‘’It’s not necessarily a bad thing,’’ commented the nobleman.

_Good thing you don’t know how you make me feel._

‘’It is,’’ snapped half-panicked Adam.

‘’Listen,’’ started Michael, who decided he had to cut short the upcoming outburst. ‘’You’ll go with me, you’ll do what you have to do, you’ll be on your best behavior and look as innocent as you manage and you’ll finally stop panicking. Is this clear?’’

The slave actually reacted just as the Lord wished he would. Perhaps the cold shower turned out to be sometimes a better method than being overly sympathetic.

‘’I’ll pull myself together,’’ promised the boy apologetically. ‘’Master.’’

The aristocrat’s heart squeezed painfully, but he didn’t let it show. He had never hated being called by this name as in that moment.

‘’Just a few hours and it’ll be all over,’’ he said in response, but he wasn’t certain himself whether he was talking to himself or Adam. Once the blond was relatively all right or at least level-headed enough to play his role, it was high time for Michael to transform into the high-blood Lord with all the consequences of that and, truth being told, it wasn’t the bad feeling.

‘’Remember to keep your head down,’’ he stated one more time.

‘’I will,’’ gulped Adam.

‘’We should go. It’s time.’’

The slave nodded absent-mindedly. No matter how immensely sorry for him the Lord felt, this wasn’t good time for coddling. Both of them had to stay strong.

The room where Council traditionally assembled was the most impressive place Adam have ever seen, even after all the fancy surroundings he had been to and despite Michael’s earlier admonishment, he couldn’t help but stare for the few seconds, until nobleman’s relatively gentle but strongly indicating he means it nudge compelled him to slip into the perfect slave demeanor and cease the further attempts to endanger this charade.

Michael exchanged greetings with his fellow nobles, who gradually appeared in the room. When every member of the Council was already present, the King leisurely made an appearance. Lord Milton tried to decipher his mood, but Chuck seemed to be unusually collected and pokerfaced, the perfect ruler in his whole glory and majesty. This time he was dressed with the highest elaborateness, apparently deciding to come back to his official, unbiased, distant persona. Until this moment the Lord didn’t comprehend fully how far had he gone, but now this awareness hit him with the full force. There was no turning back, he could only push things forward, stand up to fight. Adam’s fate was on the line, so he had more than a good reason not to let his own anxiety succumb him and put on the brave face.

Everybody stood up, the King briefly introduced the reason for the assembly, even if this one was already well-known to all the nobles present. Not surprisingly, he first gave the floor to Michael, who tirelessly voiced all his arguments just like many times before. The room was silent besides his own booming voice, Lords and Ladies were listening to him with curiosity or disbelief, sometimes mixture of both. There could be seen a brief look of sympathy in the eyes of few people, but Lord Milton barely noted that, too focused on his own speech. Adam allowed himself on one short, hopeful glance at the room before lowering his eyes submissively again. His heart was pounding in such the fast pace, as if ready to burst out of his chest in any second and the debate didn’t even begin for good.

When the discussion indeed started, Adam couldn’t get up with the myriads of arguments and the counterarguments, the heat of the fight, the political points mixing with moral and economical. Michael, however, acted just like the fish in the water, alert and ready to hit back every single time and thankfully, he wasn’t alone to defend his standing. The most devoted supporter of the traditional, outdated system turned out to be Bartholomew, who must have sworn to beat Lord Milton in this field, judging by the viciousness of his attacks, as he was verbally sparing with Michael for the prolonged while, neither of them willing to let go.

The disgust on Bartholomew face was evident as he listened to Michael’s line of reasoning.

‘’Are you suggesting us all that this criminal should be just freed without atoning for his crimes?’’

‘’I stand on the viewpoint he has already served his sentence,’’ replied Michael stiffly.

‘’I never took you for a supporter of the lax law.’’

‘’I’m not in favor of excessive mitigation of law, Bartholomew, but my inner sense of justice didn’t let me stay impassive any longer to let the things stay as they are. I’m not averse to punishing those who really merit it.’’

‘’I’m afraid that you aren’t fully aware of the consequences of your ideas being brought into force.’’

‘’Are you accusing me of overindulgence?’’

‘’Unfortunately, yes.’’

‘’I’ve been a soldier, a leader,’’ stated Lord Milton icily-cold. ‘’I still am. I’ll answer to the call of duty if Enochia was in danger again without a second of hesitance. I know more about effectiveness and firm hand than you ever did, since you spent the war at home. This might be an actual reason why you refuse to see the obvious truths. Do you want to be accused of being a road block in the way of progress in our country? Do you want to stop reforms which we shall all benefit from?’’

The other man paled a bit, clearly not content with being accused of cowardice and lack of progressive thinking, but quickly came up with an answer.

‘’I can’t see how anybody except the criminals, people with lesser morals shall benefit from what you propose. Unless you wish to lead us into the world of chaos?’’

‘’I’m afraid you weren’t listening closely. What I proposed is a very orderly system.’’

‘’A system that allows people to commit crimes, because of the deterrent factor lacking?’’

‘’A deterrent factor is still right there, and I deem it appropriate to classify it as the rather strong one. The mere fact of enslavement, of being stripped of all the rights and belongings, of being deprived of free will, to be forced to live in the conditions the slaves are usually subjected, even for the set amount of time, doesn’t it sound deterring enough to you?’’

‘’These people should be controlled by the rest of their lives,’’ snapped the other man. ‘’It won’t give anybody any good to just let them loose again. I can guarantee you they will commit another crime within a week supposing they were ever freed.’’

‘’I think you’re unjust towards Michael, Bartholomew,’’ spoke up the young, pretty, dark-haired woman. ‘’In my view this is admirable he chose to fight to the one who can’t speak up for themselves. It’s very altruistic.’’

‘’If you say so, Hannah. You have always been soft-hearted.’’

‘’The Enochian justice system is less than ideal. He have to acknowledge that to make amends,’’ she added softly. ‘’This is always the first step to cure the ailment.’’

‘’I made many grievous mistakes and yet you allow me to sit here with you, my fellow Lords and Ladies,’’ spoke up the well-built, tall man. ‘’I was given a second chance and now I’m trying to pay off my debt to society every day the best I can.’’

‘’Thank you for your opinion, Gadreel,’’ answered Michael calmly. ‘’Although we all know your case was unique, it brings a lot of light on our discussion.’’

‘’Gadreel was and still is one us,’’ chimed in sternly looking woman with dark hair brushed neatly into the bun. ‘’He never was a common criminal. He got acquitted of all charges.’’

‘’The mechanism is the same, I’m afraid,’’ admitted Gadreel himself. ‘’Just the scale is different. I’m so ashamed to admit my own misdoings could have ended with far more serious ramifications than the minor misdemeanors of the enslaved commoners.’’

‘’You were raised like that, Gadreel. To be set with a moral compass. The commoners, they aren’t like that. They lack in honor.’’

‘’First things first, this isn’t nature versus nurture debate, Naomi and second, even if you right, this is not a reason to let them being mistreated if we can change a thing,’’ remarked Michael.

The Lady didn’t even bother to hide her hostile attitude.

‘’Do you thing that thing kneeling so obediently at your feet is any bit grateful to you?’’

‘’He’s not the thing,’’ protested the Lord.

‘’Doesn’t matter. The point is, I’m certain all he thinks about is getting out of this situation scot-free and getting back to his vile ways.’’

‘’Well, it would be odd if he was about to act the way to brings him drawbacks,’’ noted Michael reasonably. ‘’To the point, why would he come back to the old path of wrongdoings?’’

‘’Because he and his fellow commoners don’t know the other one,’’ exclaimed the woman with conviction.

‘’Please don’t tell me you claim all of them to be like that,’’ spoke Hannah again. ‘’Many of the commoners despite not having the noble blood in their veins are very refined, successful and law-abiding men and women.’’

‘’We’re getting sidetracked once more,’’ noted Naomi.

‘’I’m afraid you started it,’’ replied Hannah softly.

‘’Thankfully, I have nothing more to add,’’ said the other woman and sent last scornful look to Adam before sitting back with dignity.

As nobody else seemed to hurry with taking the floor, Anna was the one to stand up.

‘’For me, it’s absolutely clear Michael has excellent results with that boy,’’ she said. ‘’I have more than one occasion to observe them first-handed, if my word counts for something. It’s the excellent example how the little of kindness and wise guidance can bring so many gains to all of us. We’re nobles, we pride ourselves to be sensitive, it would be against ourselves to let ever the fallible beings suffer needlessly. After all, they’re humans too, with their own desires, dreams, plans, strengths and weaknesses.’’

‘’This is beautifully said, Anna,’’ half-smiled Michael, letting himself to show a tinge of emotions.

‘’There’s still the matter of retribution. Why don’t we talk about victims here?’’ Asked outraged Bartholomew.

Lord Milton feigned the surprise.

‘’We don’t? I think the system I’ve proposed is still rather retributive one, just weighing the concept of the clean slate and rehabilitation.’’

‘’Your boy-toy…Do you stand on the viewpoint he repaid his debt to society?’’

‘’Actually, I stand on the viewpoint we owe him a debt as the society.’’

It took all the self-restraint for Adam not to look up at his Master in shock. This announcement startled even him.

‘’I don’t recognize you, Mike,’’ winced Bartholomew.

‘’And I don’t recognize me giving you permission to call me by nicknames. This is the Council, the matter is serious, so stop treating it as the big joke and wasting time of everybody present.’’

‘’Please don’t blame me for not taking overly seriously this subject. I can’t believe you take it as such, Lord Michael.’’

‘’And I can’t believe in your closed mind.’’

The voice of the King boomed above their heads.

‘’That’s enough. I think we’ve heard enough of that, no use to turn it into mindless banter. There is only one more person I need to hear today to reach my verdict. Adam, what do you have to say for yourself, my child?’’

The young man’s head sprung up automatically. He didn’t know whether the King speaking directly to him was just a fidget of his imagination, but Chuck actually smiled at him and nodded.

‘’Yes, I’m speaking to you. Stand up and tell me what’s on your mind. You have my permission to speak freely.’’

The slave struggled to move after staying put in one position for two long, but Michael mercifully helped him to stand up, hoisting him by the elbow, glancing at him with a slight apprehension. This was just the opposite of what he told Adam to do, so the slave would just have to say something on the spot and try to win over King’s heart with authenticity. One thing he was sure about, Adam would be truthful, way too afraid and lost to come up with any lies or half-truth in this unexpected situation, which was actually a good thing, supposing he wouldn’t complain at his Master. The Lord knew the blond was mightily angry at him a couple of times and never even attempted to hide it, but on the whole they had a good rapport and Adam won’t do something as mindless as criticizing his only protector.

The young man took a deep breath and got the hold of on the wooden barrier, as if afraid he would keel over in any moment deprived of support.

‘’Your Majesty, Your Highness, this is the great honor to speak to you, to have even my case presented here, in front of the people of much higher standing. Despite of what was suggested, I’m not ungrateful and I’m not trying to be impertinent. I’m truly sorry for my previous actions, as much as I can be. I had the normal childhood. I was an only child of the single mother in the small town. I’ve never known my father. I went to school, I played sports, I was interested in biology, I still am, in fact. I had the life before enslavement, before everything went awry. My Mum was the nurse. She was working hard, often staying late at work, but we still struggled to make ends meet. She was the best mum I could have asked for, always so warm and caring, always attentive, trying to make it up for me I don’t have the father. I was just a kid and was curious why other children have both parents and I just had one, but all in all I was happy just the way it was. We didn’t have much, but we have each other. Mum thought me about good and evil, about morals and making right choices, but then she got seriously sick and passed away.’’ Adam’s voiced wavered, even after all these years, it hurt immensely to expose himself like that, but he carried on. ‘’This was the moment I lost everything. The only family I had, a place to live, I basically landed in the streets with no money within the days. I was only twelve and had to adjust in order to survive. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I was desperate. This was how I started to dabble with petty crimes.’’

The slave summarized the next events to the moment he was rescued by Michael, when he decided it was enough for everybody to understand. If there were unconvinced people present, he couldn’t probably do more than he already did. He stood there, cheeks flushed, eyes shining almost feverishly, as the living demonstration of the injustice in Enochia. Michael had never been so proud of him, but once again he had to hide his true feeling deep inside and stay deadpanned. He could have told, however, than this heartfelt confession managed to move the hearts of many of the Lords and Ladies present. The other nobles frowned, displeased with this turn of events. Unfortunately, the King’s expression was entirely unreadable as he made an announcement.

‘’The discussion is closed. I’ve heard enough. I will inform you of my decision tomorrow. Meeting adjourned.’’

For some reason Adam felt as if he found himself in the some kind of court again, however, maybe this time his situation wasn’t as hopeless as before.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter I’ve been waiting quite a long time to write. Hate to keep you waiting for Chuck’s verdict, but you know, there’s a lot to cover before that moment. One chapter, to be exact😁 Michael and Adam have a heart-to-heart.

After the initial astonishment passed, Adam was gradually growing restless. Michael took him back to the apartments, coaxing him into eating and soothing his nerves, convincing him his heartfelt speech turned out more than well, truly moving, but despite his efforts the young man was still rather edgy.

‘’Adam, trust me, you did good, it was a spotless performance,’’ the nobleman assured. ‘’Not many people would have a courage to stand up and speak like that, on the spot, without any preparation. I seriously didn’t expect he would ask you. Maybe it was for the best, because you didn’t have time to fret.’’

‘’I was dizzy,’’ admitted the slave. ‘’I thought I’m going to faint, but in the same time I know I couldn’t, like I wasn’t allowed to.’’

‘’That could have made a commotion,’’ half-smiled the Lord. ‘’It would have probably shown how sincere you are, but I’m happy you managed not to pass.’’

‘’I’m happy too. This floor was damn hard, but I was too petrified to even fidget. When the King first spoke to me, I was sure my imagination is playing tricks on me. Once I started speaking, it just came naturally, thankfully, but it still was so unreal. By the way, I’m impressed by your quick thinking. You managed to beat them all.’’

‘’About that, we’ll see tomorrow,’’ noticed the nobleman realistically.

‘’I thought we’ll know by now,’’ said Adam unhappily.

‘’Yeah, me too, but look at this reasonably. The King was always rather quick to make decisions, but with the matter of that weigh, one day is really a good timing. It’s more than many people can ask for.’’

‘’You could have told me before,’’ sulked the blond. ‘’You’ve told me there won’t be more waiting.’’

Michael frowned.

‘’Adam, could you please stop treating me as if I was responsible for all the bad things that happen to you?’’

The younger man winked at him.

‘’I have nobody else to blame, you know?’’

‘’You’re doing everything to make me believe I was way too lenient with you right from the start,’’ replied the Lord in mock-stern voice.

‘’It means you brought it upon yourself,’’ hit back Adam immediately.

‘’Maybe it’s not too late to gift you to Bartholomew with the note of apology.’’

‘’The mighty and proud Lord Milton admitting he was wrong? Not happening.’’

‘’I’d rather have you drive crazy him than me.’’

‘’Quick thinking,’’ smiled the slave. ‘’You’ve got the point here.’’

‘’Yeah, this skill comes in useful more often than I would like to,’’ commented Michael.

Their meals had just been served, so he focused on making an effort to talk Adam into eating something. The boy confessed to having a stomach knotted tightly despite his seemingly lighthearted attitude, but even if he hadn’t, the Lord had a chance to get to know him well enough just to recognize this state. After swallowing a few mouthfuls the blond hid in his room, leaving the nobleman to himself. Michael tried to read his favorite military strategy textbook, the activity which always managed to calm him down, when he was worried about something, a set of clear rules, so useful on the battlefield where everything was so much easier than in love and politics. However, this time even this wasn’t enough to soothe his nerves. He knew he did all he could or at least tried his best, so rationally thinking his conscience should be clean, but he and Adam had something in common and that was loathing to feel helpless. Now he couldn’t do anything more, he had to wait. The decision could have already been made and he wouldn’t know till the next day. What an infuriating feeling. Finally, tired with reading the same sentence for the fourth time and still not comprehending it, he closed the book with the loud thud and decided that he might as well go to bed and sleep off the long hours of waiting. The hour was late enough to justify this and Adam was mysteriously silent. Michael wondered whether he should go and check up on him, but eventually came to the conclusion the slave presumably needed just some time for himself and wouldn’t appreciate an intrusion, especially after the exhausting events.

The Lord was lying flatly on the mattress, eyes opened, staring at the ceiling, as despite the passing hours, sleep didn’t claim him and judging by the sounds of tossing and turning, easy to hear in the dead of the night, he wasn’t the only one with this problem. When he recognized the familiar footsteps pacing through the room, after a short consideration, he decided to call.

‘’Adam?’’

‘’Yes?’’ Replied the blond immediately, with a tinge of surprise in his voice.

‘’You can’t sleep as well, Ads?’’

‘’No,’’ whispered the blond, showing himself in the doorframe of Michael’s bedroom.

‘’Come here.’’ Mike patted the empty space on the bed. ‘’It’s big enough for both of us.’’

‘’I thought you didn’t wish to bed me,’’ remarked Adam, grinning cheekily.

‘’It’s an innocent proposal. I’d rather wouldn’t spend a sleepless night alone and I think you might want to have some company as well.’’

Logically speaking, Michael knew he shouldn’t do that, shouldn’t propose such a thing to already confused beyond recognition Adam, but he really meant what he said. It was an innocent proposal, he was sick and tired of lying there, unable to sleep and since Adam seemed to be suffering from the same predicament, the Lord’s presence might actually do him some good. At least he wouldn’t be left alone to deal with his problems. It would be one night only, not the experience to repeat. Seemed fair enough.

‘’It’s okay to say no,’’ he added hurriedly, but Adam just made a small smile, as far as the nobleman could have seen in the pale light and climbed onto the bed. ‘’Don’t worry, you’re right, it’s more than sufficient for two people,’’ he said. ‘’I thought after the day like that I would be dead on my feet and here we are,’’ he added, positioning himself on his side, looking at the Lord with his half-opened eyes. ‘’I know we’ve been through this countless of times, but I still don’t know how it went today, with all these people and the King…What have he thought in the end. Maybe I was too blunt, I don’t know.’’

‘’He actually likes bluntness, so this shouldn’t have been the problem. Adam, sometimes you can only dare to do your best. That’s what we did.’’

The young man closed his eyes and after Michael thought he was really falling asleep this time, lulled by warmth and safety, he abruptly opened them again.

‘’Even if I didn’t know, it’s easy to guess Naomi has the grudge against you.’’

‘’Maybe yes, maybe no. As you’ve heard before when I was talking to Anna, I really didn’t give her much reason to think this was going to transform into something serious, but she’s always been an ambitious type and wanted to be Lady Milton. Also, she’s pretty conservative and ruthless, so with or without me, I’m fairly sure she would have been opposed to such reforms.’’

‘’I see. What’s the matter with Gadreel?’’ Inquired further Adam, indicating subject of the Lady was closed.

‘’He was collaborating with the enemy,’’ replied the nobleman simply.

Shocked Adam lifted his head, resting it on the elbow.

‘’And he got acquitted?’’

‘’It was proved he didn’t know he was passing information to the enemies. He got tricked,’’ explained Michael.

‘’Do you believe him?’’ Asked still shell-shocked slave.

‘’I didn’t at first, but later I changed my mind. It was rather clear from how he behaved later he is truly repentant even though he wasn’t cooperating with full knowledge.’’

‘’Truly repentant…’’ echoed the blond thoughtfully.

‘’Didn’t he strike you like that today?’’ Questioned the nobleman, earnestly curious what the answer would be.

‘’Mike, please don’t insult my intelligence. I had more than one occasion to see how much of the good actors aristocrats are, yes, including you, but if you say he’s like this, it’s enough for me. What matters, he spoke in my favor.’’

‘’Now you’re starting to speak like a politician.’’

Adam shuddered.

‘’It was never my ambition. Did you let him scot-free?’’

‘’He had quite a lot of unpleasantness, the stay in dungeons and later house arrest included, but all in all, as you had seen today, he’s back to good graces. Officially, at least, because the good part of the nobility still resent him, even though rarely openly. Though, he’s not the fool, he knows it. Anyway, this bias has lessened much recently, as the time went by and his guilt started to be slightly becoming forgotten.’’

‘’Nobles justice,’’ snorted Adam. ‘’Okay, that dungeon thing, that I don’t envy him, unless he got it better than I did.’’

‘’I was close to this investigation and I can assure you, no, he didn’t.’’

The slave’s gaze softened considerably.

‘’If his behavior wasn’t an act, it looks like he learnt something from that imprisonment.’’

‘’Lucky for you, kid.’’

The boy lowered his eyes.

‘’When I told the King I’m sorry for my past actions, I meant it, really,’’ he said in small voice.

‘’I know. Even you wouldn’t lie to the King. Besides, do you really think I would let you stay here, with me and enjoy the free time instead of sending you off to do something productive and suitably retributive if I had even a shadow of doubt you aren’t a good person?’’

‘’I can see you inner Lord is showing. But seriously, thank you for that. You know, it looks like you have more faith in me than I’ve got in myself. I’m not entirely sure I can call myself a good guy. I hurt people.’’

‘’Not condoning that, but in view of the circumstances, you may consider yourself forgiven.’’

Adam made a sound, which surprisingly resembled a half-sob.

‘’I wish I had other choice,’’ he let out.

‘’But you didn’t, so stop beating yourself with that,’’ claimed the brunette firmly. ‘’You’ll be all right, kid,’’ he promised, reaching out to rub boy’s back. ‘’No matter what the verdict would be, I promise you that.’’

‘’This is sweet, Mike,’’ purred Adam, leaning into the older’s man touch. ‘’But you can’t guarantee that.’’

‘’Of course I can. I’m Michael Milton,’’ said the Lord in such a tone as if this simple statement explained everything.

The slave let out a small chuckle.

‘’Is this enough?’’

‘’You must think really a little of me. If I say you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine. I can’t guarantee you freedom, but I can guarantee you safety and more than good conditions. I can spoil you, well, I’m doing it anyway as you must have noticed already, brat. I’m fairly certain you’re the most coddled slave in Enochia.’’

‘’You once said you have neither time or intention of coddling me and now look at you,’’ smirked the boy sleepily.

‘’Really? When it was?’’

‘’After I sat too long in that hot bath, remember?’’

It took Michael a few seconds to remind himself that situation.

‘’I wasn’t sure what can I expect from you. I had every reason to believe your intentions aren’t exactly the best.’’

‘’Truth be told, I wasn’t exactly your biggest fan back than too. I bid my time and waited for you to show your true colors, because all this seemed too good to be truth. And I was right, you accused me of stealing with basically zero evidence.’’

‘’Hey, I’ve already apologized for that. I hope I made it up for you.’’

Adam reached out for his Master’s hand, intertwining their fingers together.

‘’You could probably say that.’’

‘’You’re the hard one to satisfy. Anyway, are the arguments I just gave enough for you?’’

‘’They must be. Mike, I’m sleepy,’’ muttered the fair-haired man.

‘’Is my company not good enough to entertain you?’’ whispered back the nobleman.

‘’Mike, it’s not like that…’’ started to explain himself the slave.

‘’Easy, kid, sleep. It’s high time both of us finally have some rest.’’

It didn’t take him long to hear companion’s even breathing. After the short while, still holding Adam’s hand, he drifted off himself.

Despite staying up for the good part of the night, in the morning Lord Milton woke up out of him own accord, feeling rather rested. After the few seconds of disorientation why Adam was lying next to him, wrapped tightly in covers, sound asleep, it came back to him alongside with his guilty conscience. Maybe it was the bad idea to offer him a spot in the bed, even for one night, especially that nobleman didn’t specify it, as far as his memory served him right. The slave at least seemed pleased with that arrangement, which made Michael feel a little better about his behavior.

It’s been a while since the last time he shared his bed with somebody and Adam was pleasantly warm, maybe even too warm. For a second the Lord worried it was a developing fever, but hopefully it was just a side effect of being covered with a fluffy comforter. He tousled young man’s hair affectionately.

‘’Wake up,’’ he whispered, brushing fringe from blond’s forehead. ‘’It’s a big day for both of us.’’

Adam muttered something incoherent while his grip on the comforter tightened, making it obvious that he had no intention of leaving the bed in the nearest future. The nobleman softly patted his cheek and repeated his words louder this time.

‘’Adam, wake up, sleepyhead. Even you shouldn’t keep the King waiting.’’

The boy’s mind must have registered something about the King, because Adam immediately opened his eyes and almost jumped out of the bed.

‘’Whoa, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but please don’t break anything including yourself,’’ chuckled the Lord.

‘’What’s happening?’’ Asked the younger man frantically.

‘’Easy, it’s just the wake up. I didn’t mean to startle you.’’

Adam frowned slightly.

‘’What I was….?’’ He started to ask, but the memories of the previous night must have come back to him as well. ‘’I fell asleep in your bed?’’ The last question was more of the statement, but the Lord replied anyway.

‘’As you can see, yes.’’

‘’And you didn’t carry me back to mine?’’

‘’I would have been pointless,’’ shrugged Michael indifferently. ‘’Do you know that you’re like a big thermophore?’’

‘’I’ll take it as the compliment, muttered Adam, yawning. ’’We shouldn’t have stayed yesterday so long.’’

‘’In our defense, it wasn’t planned. Anyway, I’ll ask for extra big coffee with ours today breakfast, because I’m not risking you taking a nap in front of the King.’’

‘’He had already reached the verdict, with me sleeping or awake,’’ noticed the slave reasonably.

‘’Don’t risk him changing his mind. It’s his prerogative, after all,’’ pointed out the Lord seriously.

‘’I can’t believe the King to be so, I don’t know, swayed easily?’’

‘’You’re so young and inexperienced, my dear. The King shouldn’t do many things, but he sometimes does and why is there to stop him?’’

Before Michael caught himself on that it wasn’t probably the most uplifting thing he had told Adam and rather not suitable in that moment, the boy answered.

‘’I am experienced, just in the different field.’’

‘’You’re also quite cute.’’

Cute and too young to spend rest of your life in the captivity. Even in the golden cage. With him enslaved Michael would never have a guarantee of Adam loving him back just because he could. There would always be a lingering phantom of doubt hanging above him. He wouldn’t be able to stand it. Not now, not ever. He just wished for one thing in the entire world- for Adam to be free and happy, free to pursue his dreams, to have a family he deserved. To be taken care of, to have good people around him. To be loved.

The Lord watched in silence as Adam sipped the coffee, wondering why did he feel as if he was the one getting punished. Actually, he knew the answer. He committed the unforgivable crime of getting attached and allowing himself to love. Now he at least got the mystery solved, he got enlightened why his previous relationships didn’t make it. He never got that much involved, not enough to put the other’s person happiness over his own. Now he would do it, no matter how much it hurt.

As he predicted, it didn’t take long for them being summoned. Adam shivered a bit, but remained mostly level-headed.

‘’Michael?’’ He spoke shyly as they were ready to go.

‘’Yes?’’

‘’I just want to tell you that no matter what will happen and no matter what I said before, I really appreciate what you’ve done for me. I don’t think you’re responsible for the bad things that happened to me.’’

‘’Thank you,‘’ answered the Lord shortly, glancing at Adam kindly. ‘’Now, let’s go, kid. We’ve been waiting long enough.’’

The slave nodded and followed the Master.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really should stop myself from serving you all this fluff…


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment we've all been waiting for-it's here and now, finally. Today Chuck will voice his verdict. Today we'll know. Today we've got the breaking point, almost two months after I posted the first chapter.

Everything seemed just like the day before, as if he didn’t leave this room, as if the whole night spend with Michael was just a dream. Adam was fairly certain that no matter what the verdict would be, he would end up having nightmares about this room and being stuck there, relieving this situation over and over, like an endless time loop. He was ordered to stand in the middle of the room, on display, for everyone to see, look at him with pity or scorn and comment. Michael told him before that sometimes this place was used for the political trials and this is why it partially resembled a courtroom. Indeed, standing in the place for the accused, this was just how Adam felt. He knew he had been exceptionally polite to everyone (maybe except Michael, but the brunette was okay with Adam just the way he was and Adam had apologized in the end, so he assumed he had a clean slate) and in general he was on his best behavior, which even wasn’t so hard, considering the stake, but still felt as if he was guilty of some horrendous crime and was about to be sentenced with no chance of liberation. At least he wasn’t kneeling this time, but this realization doesn’t make bearing it much easier. After all, even without that his status, as well as his past crimes and misdemeanors were perfectly well-known to everybody due to his own testimony. At least this time he wasn’t alone, left to die because of the ill-understood justice. This time he had a mighty protector, somebody who defended him. This time, actually, the judge listened to him, so unlike Osiris. For a short second Adam closed his eyes. After all this would be over he would definitely spend an indecently long amount of time crying on Michael’s shoulder, letting it out, all the pent-up emotions, things he wanted to say the previous night, but he couldn’t find the words. Michael would understand, would allow him on that display of weakness and hold him as long as Adam needed it. Michael was the best that happened to him in his miserable life, after all. Adam was certain Mum would love him as well, adopting him in the second if she was only given a chance. She would appreciate his big heart, hidden after this aristocratic demeanor. The slave forced himself to lift his heavy eyelids again. It took the his whole self-restraint not to bolt from all this happening above his head. It felt like hours passing, though Adam was pretty certain that rationally it couldn’t have been more than mere few minutes. Lords and Ladies were talking about something in hushed voices, the distant echo of their conversations ringing in his ears, yet not loud enough to decipher the words. The young man didn’t want to know if he was the subject of their comments. Maybe yes, maybe not, but the possibility of it still gave him a sickening feeling to his stomach. He was afraid he was going to vomit, but luckily it was just a sensation, produced by an overactive mind. He took a deep breath and made an effort to concentrate on the fact there were the nobles supportive to his case as well. It was probably because of Michael, but still, in the end it didn’t even matter. Dignity be damned, just let it all be over. Why Michael was so far from him? What had he done to deserve such a torture of isolation, even a temporary one?

After what seemed like eternity, the King gave the sign and the whole room quieted. After the usual greetings, which were for Adam only the waste of time and only increased his anxiousness to the brink of the breakdown, Chuck eventually, to the slave’s great relief, came to the point.

‘’As we all know, the immensely burning problem has been brought to our notice.’’

Adam tried to focus, but he was in something akin to trance. The ruler carried on a while about the general situation in Enochia and the flaws of justice system, before he eventually reached the verdict. He even complimented Michael for sensitiveness, with made the blond feel slightly better, but only slightly. He shyly hoped for the best, but the common sense, bitter experiences and the innate pragmatism suggested him to be ready for the worst.

It took a while before the King eventually exclaimed these blessed words. Michael awaited them from his usual spot, at the first glance composed and straight-faced as always, more hopeful than Adam, but understandably high-strung as well, listening to every word attentively, but inside was yearning for Chuck to say these one, the most cherished, granting Adam freedom. He tensed as the slight change of topic indicated the ruler was getting there.

‘’There’s always this first, historical moment and I’m proud to be the King to say this words. Adam Milligan, my boy,’’ Chuck glanced at him almost benignly. ‘’I’m sorry to hear you suffered greatly from the hands of the people who had sworn loyalty to me, who took the oath to protect every citizen of Enochia. Your sentence is lifted. Due to the statements I received, especially the one of Lord Milton, who is known as the man of honor, I was led to believe that for one thing, you were in the state similar to coercion and for the second, you had seen the error of your ways and will led the law-abiding life from now on. Hereby I announce you a free citizen of Enochia with all the consequences of that fact and guarantee this with my royal word. All your civil rights are restored. You’re free to go.’’ 

Adam just stood there, numb, in the middle of the room, in the presence of all these dignified and well-oriented nobleman and noblewoman, words like arriving from afar. The whole world spiraled in front of his eyes. He wasn’t even certain he had heard it right or whether the announcement was the product of his imagination. It wasn’t until Michael softly ordered him to come back to him, he regained the sense of reality. Shakily, he obeyed. Lord Milton without a further hesitance reached out to his neck and fiddled with the collar until he managed to unclasp it, smiling triumphantly, first indication of emotions since he left his chambers earlier in the morning. After that, he turned to the King, thanking for this grace and expressing his gratitude for everybody who supported this mission. Not surprisingly Bartholomew and the ones who shared his belief, didn’t look half as joyful as Lord Milton is this special day.

‘’Perfect,’’ sighed the King, doesn’t even bothering to sound formal. ‘’Now we’ve got a clear situation. It went fast. This is something I like. Thank you for your time and attendance. Meeting dismissed.’’

Michael took Adam by the arm and led him out of the room, on the way promising a few people he would talk to them later. Luckily, one glance on the just-liberated-man was more than enough for them to understand, so they didn’t insist, except of one Bartholomew, whose congratulations sounded more like a death threat.

‘’It won’t change anything in the system,’’ he said in the solemn voice after spitting something akin to customary compliments.

Michael smiled sneeringly.

‘’Maybe it won’t, but I’m still a step ahead from you.’’

‘’Enjoy your success while it last,’’ winced the other man, looking at Adam with disdain.

‘’That’s exactly what I’m doing,’’ informed him Lord Milton high-handedly.

‘’For King it didn’t seem to be a big thing,’’ remarked Bartholomew.

‘’Big enough to assembly a Council and to rule in my favor.’’

‘’We all know it’s only because he likes you. He has always treated you special.’’

Michael couldn’t stop himself from the little jab.

‘’Maybe, but the precedent has been set. Besides, he was never overly formal, so it’s nothing new. If you knew him the way I do, you wouldn’t be so startled, but of course, not all of us have this luck.’’

‘’One more argument the ruling was biased.’’

‘’Now you’re trying to argue with the King?’’ Asked Lord Milton harshly.

‘’I would never,’’ quickly replied the other man defensively.

‘’Good. You never were the one to lose with dignity, but it’s time to learn how to accept it.’’

‘’Quick surrender isn’t usually treated as the virtue,’’ pointed Bartholomew, narrowing his eyes.

‘’I’m Lord Milton. I’m the one who can influence the King’s ruling. He listened to my advice for years. I fought for him for years. And you? I doubt he even knows who you are. Quit this insolence this instant,’’ demanded Michael.

Something in his voice made Bartholomew back down. He sent the former slave, who stayed silent during the whole time, a scornful, wrathful glance, but stepped out of the way without another word.

It wasn’t until they were behind the closed doors of their rooms when Michael dropped this act and beamed at Adam.

‘’Congratulations, kid. The fight is over. You can start breathing and please don’t keel down right now. I’ll get you a glass of water. You look like you need it.’’

‘’I’ll be fine,’’ replied the young man in hoarse voice, the first words that left his mouth since the verdict, but accepted the offered drink without further protests, swallowing it in few gulps.

‘’Now, come here,’’ prompted him the nobleman, sitting down in the armchair. Not waiting a second longer, Adam sat onto his lap.

‘’We did it,’’ he exclaimed, hugging Michael closely.

‘’We did it, darling,’’ confirmed the Lord, running his hand through younger’s man hair. ’’What’s the feeling?’’

‘’It’s wonderful, like all the dreams coming true. I’m still processing it. It’s like I’m going to fall and fly in the same time.’’

‘’You’re trembling. Are you cold?’’ Asked Michael with care.

‘’Just overly excited,’’ answered Adam, finally stopping wiggling as he found comfortable enough position.

‘’You have every right to be excited. I’m excited myself and as you must have noticed by now, this doesn’t happen often,’’ said the Lord softly.

‘’I did,’’ giggled the blond.

‘’Indeed, the King was right. It went exceptionally fast,’’ remarked the nobleman.

‘’Fast? It took way too long,’’ cried out the freshly liberated slave in outrage.

The nobleman patted his arm in soothing gesture.

‘’Adam, patience is something you still have to learn.’’

‘’I’ve been patient, I’ve been patient for too long. Michael, this is a miracle. I still can’t believe it,’’ said Adam in dreamy voice.

‘‘You’re free again, but now, you have all the resources you can even think of. This time, you’ll have everything, darling. I can guarantee you that,’’ promised the Lord affectionately.

‘’I still can’t believe it. How am I supposed to act now? I’ve been on the fringes of society for whole my life. I feel like an imposter,’’ confessed the blond.

‘’Don’t be, kid. Yes, I know, it’ll take time, but you’ll learn everything faster than you think. You’re the intelligent man, you’re extremely adaptable, more than anyone I ever knew, and I’m definitely not leaving you. For me, it doesn’t sound bad for the fresh start.’’

Adam clung closer to him.

‘’I feel like I don’t deserve it,’’ he confessed.

‘’Sweetheart, King himself decided you deserve it. The way you’ve been treated for too long, it was inhumane. Now you can look down on these people who hurt you in the past.’’

A small smile danced on the blond’s lips as he asked the next question.

‘’Look down just like you?’’

Michael couldn’t help but smile as well.

‘’Just like me. Hey, I’m not always like that, but sometimes you just have too. Talking of that, important news, now anybody attacks you, this is assault. You have every right to defend yourself, love, though I’d rather wouldn’t give Bartholomew and Naomi that satisfaction, so don’t pick up the fights. However, now law and the enough power is by your side, so you can breathe easily.’’

‘’That’s the strange feeling, to be on this side of law.’’

‘’Well, maybe not legally, but in fact you are on this side of law from same time. I wouldn’t have a wrongdoer so close to me.’’

Adam grinned.

‘’Mum would be proud of me, finally.’’

‘’Darling, I think she would be proud of your survivalist skills long time ago. You’ve been though much more than an average person.’’

‘’The time with you wasn’t that bad. It could have probably been worse.’’

Michael frowned in the fake expression of dissatisfaction.

‘’It looks like your quick tongue is back.’’

The former slave carefully stood up and batted his eyelashes playfully.

‘’What can I say, this is the way I am. Okay, completely seriously, I don’t know what to do with myself now. My whole life I had an aim, even if it was a simple survival. Now, I achieved mine and have absolutely no idea what’s my next.’’

The Lord glanced at him sneakily.

‘’It would come naturally, don’t worry. For the nearest future, I would suggest you getting some rest in the first place.’’

‘’Rest?’’ Repeated confused younger man. ‘’You were the one who did the most of work. I’ll be eternally grateful for that, by the way.’’

‘’And you had most of nerves.’’

Adam yawned.

‘’Point taken. It’s true I had terrible time sleeping recently, but now sleeping feels like a waste of time. However, I might consider it. My head aches.’’

Michael lowered his voice to conspiratorial whisper.

‘’I’ll tell you a secret. Freeman have to sleep too.’’

‘’Every night?’’ Inquired the younger man in mock-surprised tone.

‘’At least the most of them,’’ replied the Lord with fake seriousness.

Adam grinned and run off, leaving the nobleman to himself again. Michael suppressed the sigh. Despite all his determination to let the other man go if he chose so, having Adam nestling on his lap was definitely the experience he’d like to recreate. Maybe one day he would tell this delightful boy how he made him feel, but not now, it was way too early and it still would be weeks from now. The power imbalance was just too great, making the Lord worried immensely no matter how comfortable he would try to make the Adam, it still wouldn’t be enough. Poor Adam, despite the victory was must have been so lost. Truth being told, Michael wasn’t sure how to make it work as well, resorting to the hope taking him out of this environment would be a beneficial factor. Adam had suffered too much in Eden and while he had it hard in Windom as well, maybe the familiar surroundings of the hometown, the places associated with good moments as well might be more welcome. Yes, homecoming sounded like the best option. Besides of obvious reasons, Michael had left his mansion for the longer time than he would like to and even if he trusted his people, he knew how easy to was for the things to go astray the moment the owner disappeared from the sight. Of course he still had a few matters to attend in Eden, but there was no use delaying the journey. As Adam was apparently sleeping or at least napping, judging by the silence, Michael called for the servant to bring him a writing paper and after the delivery being made, he sat down and started to scribble down the letter to Castiel. His younger brother must have been worried sick by the prolonged lack of news, good or bad, so he owed that much to him. At least, this letter would be fully triumphant one, as after the long months, Michael felt like the sun was shining for him brighter, as if despite all the difficulties that were inevitably yet to come what he repeated to Adam multiple times was indeed true. Everything would be all right. He was almost finishing the latter, when he heard the light knocking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, once more an insurmountable amount of fluff. Don't worry, we're not over with drama in this fic. Besides, we still have a few matters to resolve, like Adam's family and of course romance (it's near, it's near).


	27. Chapter 27

Michael raised his head from the writing paper.

‘’I hope I’m not interrupting anything,’’ said the red-haired Lady, gingerly opening the door without waiting for the permission to enter and coming closer. Thankfully her cousin didn’t mind the intrusion, as his silent elation made him much more tolerant and patient than usual.

‘’No, come in, Anna,’’ he smiled to her. ‘’Knowing your temperament it is a wonder you even made it this long.’’

She chuckled nervously.

‘’I’m afraid you know me too well. Congratulations, Michael. What you did was just magnificent. Seriously, I have no words to tell you how amazed I am. Also, good thing somebody finally gave Bartholomew an earful. Since you were away and Chuck was terribly withdrawn, he thought he had the undivided power around here.’’

‘’I didn’t wish to antagonize him badly before, but as far as I got oriented in the situation, he isn’t the type I would like to be associated with. Since there was no use winning him over, as he is too obstinate and self-centered for that, I did the other thing. He must hate me now even more than before, but it was worth it. I’m not to be trifled with, Anna. I can’t let anybody think otherwise.’’

‘’You did the right thing. I can assure you, more people are at your side than you can even imagine, even if it may come from the dissatisfaction with other options.’’

‘’Not the best motive. Anna, why are you standing? Sit down, please.’’

The Lady sat gracefully in the plush armchair.

‘’It’s surprisingly quit in here,’’ she commented, looking round. ‘’Where’s our lucky boy?’’

‘’In bed.’’

Anna raised her brow questioningly.

‘’In bed?’’

‘’He’s sleeping,’’ explained her cousin. ‘’He’s beat.’’

‘’No doubt he is. He did well, better than most of us would in his place. Precious little thing,’’ she said almost tenderly.

‘’Not a thing,’’ corrected her Michael with a hint of smile. ‘’And not so little.’’

‘’Touché. Anyway, you’ll have plenty of time to celebrate the victory later.’’

‘’Exactly. I have to finish my business here and there we’ll have more than enough time. Till this time, Adam should get over this aftershock and so should I.’’

‘’So, you’re leaving Eden again. This is such a pity, cousin. Didn’t you think about staying for a while longer?’’

‘’I thought,’’ admitted Michael. ‘’But I can’t do it to Adam. He suffered enough humiliation in this place, as I was dragging him through all these parties and meeting, keeping him collared and on his knees. He deserves some respite.’’

‘’You deserve it as well,’’ she said sympathetically. ‘’It must have been hectic for you too.’’

‘’Good thing it all came so smoothly in the end.’’

‘’Yes, I think all in all both of you can consider yourself lucky. Don’t take me wrong, you fully deserved it, after all that hard work, but it’s still a miracle the King agreed for something so unprecedented. It’s the green light for similar cases.’’

‘’I’m afraid there’s still a lot of work to do. The changes like that don’t just happen overnight. We need a revolution in thinking of Masters and Mistresses, in the approach of judges. Forgive me, Anna, but I’d rather not be that person. Maybe it’s selfish, but I just want some time with Adam right now and be sure he is safe and happy. I feel responsible for him, even now or maybe even more now, because he’s no longer legally my responsibility, but he’s so alone with nobody to support him and almost no belongings...’’

‘’It’s not selfish, it’s the right thing. It would bring him no good if you just consider his case closed and cut him off. Worse, it would be simply cruel and if there’s one thing I’m certain about in all these craziness we had here recently, you’re not like that.’’

‘’I’m not leaving him.’’

‘’Good. Besides, don’t fret about it, Michael, he’s not alone. He has you.’’

‘’And nobody else.’’

‘’Easy, he’s going to end up with loads of friends. This is just this type.’’

‘’You’re talking as if making friends was easy.’’

Anna looked amused.

‘’Michael, I’ll be straight with these news, though they aren’t probably the nicest. The majority of people finds making friends easy or at least easier than you do.’’

‘’I’m not that antisocial,’’ protested the Lord.

‘’This has nothing to do with being antisocial.’’

‘’Care to tell me more?’’

Anna smiled sneakily.

‘’I’d rather have us part as friends. Can we go back on track?’’

‘’Of course.’’

‘’The point is, you’re worrying too much. The worst part is over, now whatever is going to happen is between you two.’’

_So play it right_ hung unspoken in the air.

‘’Thank you, Anna. Maybe I’m really worrying too much. Seriously, who would have thought a couple of months ago I would land in here. One more thing, I have to ask you something and please tell me the truth. Do you think I’m overindulgent?’’

‘’It’s about what that idiot Bartholomew said?’’

‘’Maybe? Doesn’t matter, I just want to know.’’

‘’Michael, I think you’ve got the courage to be empathetic when it’s easier to be ruthless. You’ve got nothing to worry about. Well, maybe except that you just made quite a commotion.’’

‘’That is something I don’t care about. Let them talk, they’ll be bored sooner or later and move on.’’

‘’I like this approach very much. We’ve, I’m sorry, you’ve come so far…’’

‘’No, Anna, it’s okay to say ‘’we.’’ Now, after this nightmare is over, I have to thank every each of you for your support.’’

‘’It’s nothing. Anyway, you’ve come so far, I doubt there’s much that can shock people more. Nobles anyway.’’

‘’What about commoners?’’

‘’Michael, when was the last time commoner questioned something you said or did?’’

‘’Never?’’

‘’That speak volumes, doesn’t it? You’ve got the power in your hand, use it wisely. I know you will. You’ve changed, but that’s not necessarily the bad thing.’’

‘’You’ve changed too.’’

‘’We’re adults now, doesn’t we? People change as they grow older.’’

‘’There’s no use denying that. Anna, I believe this is a good moment for me to step down and let Castiel carry on with this mission. Castiel and if you would like, to you. I know I’m asking a lot, so please don’t feel obliged.’’

‘’I’d be honored,’’ she answered before he even finished the sentence.

Michael smiled delightedly, but before he gave the verbal answer, the familiar shuffling was heard and disheveled Adam appeared in the doors.

‘’Michael?’’ He asked sleepily, rubbing his hazy eyes. ‘’Oh, hi, Anna.’’

‘’Hi, Adam,’’ she replied lightly. ‘’I can see you’re getting more and more comfortable talking to nobles. Congratulations. It’s your big day.’’

‘’Thank you,’’ he said coming closer. ‘’I don’t understand half of the things that are going around here, but I’m happy like crazy.’’

Their little chat was interrupted by the sudden appearance of the servant, who came to inform Michael that he is expected by the King in ten minutes. The Lord dismissed him and left the room to get himself ready, which gave Anna and Adam an opportunity to talk the first time in four eyes.

‘’I’m sorry I called you _that boy_ yesterday with all those people present,’’ she said, giving faired-haired man a brief hug.

‘’Nothing you should be sorry about, I’ve been called much worse,’’ assured Adam gracefully, taking the seat Michael just emptied.

‘’I’m sorry to hear that.’’

‘’All’s well that ends well, right?’’

‘’It’s heartwarming to see how optimistic you are.’’

‘’I’ve learnt long time ago there’s no use dwelling on past or things you can’t change.’’

‘’Today we have all seen there might be more room to change than many of us imagined.’’

The blond flashed his teeth in playful smile.

‘’It was worth it, even if it would have been only to ire that stuck-up snobs.’’

Anna laughed shortly.

‘’Sure it was. They manage to get on the nerves of other nobles as well, so I sincerely doubt many people would feel sorry for them. But be careful. Stay safe, Adam. Don’t waste the chance you’ve been given.’’

‘’I won’t, promise. I guess this is what I’m going to be repeated now quite often.’’

‘’If it changes anything, I told Michael a very similar thing, so please don’t think I’m treating you worse than him.’’

‘’You, Miltons, are all the same. You’re talking just like him.’’ Adam made a quotation mark in the air with his fingers. ‘’You know, Adam, it’s not that I’m trying to be condescending, but listen to me and do what you’re told,’’ he said in the mockery of his former Master’s voice. ‘’The day without that is the day wasted,’’ he finished in his normal tone.

Anna chuckled.

‘’You pictured him perfectly.’’

‘’Are you gossiping about me?’’ Michael, who just appeared out of nowhere, eying them with the wounded expression.

‘’Shouldn’t you on your way?’’ hit back the Lady.

‘’I was about to leave, but I just couldn’t stay away. I’m not even on the other side of the door and you’re already having fun of me.’’

Adam tilted his head.

‘’Mike, please…’’

‘’Okay, okay, now I’m really going. See you two later.’’

As the Lord hurried to see Chuck, the former slave glanced at Anna sneakily.

‘’Michael mentioned you spent a part of your teenage years together. Maybe you can share with me with some details from these years? The more, well, let’s call it, unusual, the better.’’

‘’Looking for the blackmail material?’’

‘’Maybe?’’ Tried Adam innocently.

‘’Well, let me think. I doubt there were many, but I think I can tell you something…’’

‘’I’m all ears.’’

‘’Okay, so there was this one time when Michael…’’

In the meantime, the said nobleman arrived in the King’s quarters. Truth being told, he expected to be summoned, but not so fast. Apparently Chuck wished to have this subject closed as soon as possible. The realization that his great success must have been something relatively minor for the King pained him, but Adam’s liberation made him too joyful to care much about it.

‘’I can see you’re in the good mood, Michael,’’ remarked Chuck casually. ‘’You put up quite the fight. Are you staying in Eden.’’

‘’No, My King. I’ll be leaving in a few days. I’m honored to see you before that.’’

‘’How could I let you leave before saying goodbye? I had to see how you’re doing. You have every reason to be proud of yourself, after all.’’

‘’I’m afraid I still haven’t fully processed these great news, My King. Thank you for reaching the verdict so fast.’’

‘’This case was luckily rather simple.’’

_Rather simple? The case Michael had poured his whole heart in, rather simple?_

‘’That was very thoughtful, to choose the slave like that. Petty crimes, much less controversial than a real criminal. You had always had such a good political sense.’’

‘’Thank you, My King,’’ replied automatically slightly befuddled Lord. Of course he was content that Adam’s past wrongdoing were relatively minor, which made pursuing the case much easier, in fact it was one of the reasons he decided to fight for the boy, he would never put a match to letting a bad, unrepentant person loose, but that wasn’t the deciding factor. Adam was. He wouldn’t even think of making all this effort for any other slave, no matter how wronged and innocent.

‘’How is your boy doing, anyway?’’ Inquired the King.

‘’A bit lost, but as elated as can be,’’ explained the nobleman.

‘’I hope he thanked you properly?’’

Michael didn’t want to dwell what Chuck deemed proper thanks.

‘’Of course he did,’’ he assured. ‘’He’s the walking picture of the gratefulness.’’

‘’That’s good, because I was wondering, maybe I should enslave him again for the great crime of being disrespectful towards the King,’’ commented the ruler casually.

‘’Disrespectful?’’ Echoed Michael with suddenly white lips.

‘’He didn’t thank me, did he?’’ Explained Chuck as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

‘’My King, he was in shock. He still is. Please don’t take his freedom again,’’ pleaded the Lord, the foreign feeling of despair coming to him with full force. The King couldn’t, he just couldn’t…

‘’I’ve also heard he landed himself in dungeons,’’ remarked Chuck. ‘’Are you sure he as tame as he should be? Maybe he somehow managed to fool you.’’

‘’My King, this was all one big misunderstanding. He is perfectly rehabilitated and won’t cause any harm.’’

Nobleman’s voice betrayed he was more desperate than he was willing to admit. His blood run stale, just a few minutes ago he was absolutely convinced this nightmare is over, the fight is won, Adam is safe and no matter what will happen, it would be his free choice, he allowed himself to be lulled into the sense of safety, only to hear something like that.

The King laughed lightly. 

‘’Oh, Mike, I was just joking. I didn’t think you’ll take that seriously. Your boy is safe,’’ assured the ruler with a small smile.

‘’Thank you, My King,’’ said the nobleman with relief, his heart still pounding. He wasn’t definitely the one having fun there. That joke was more than mean, it was cruel and heartless.

‘’You’ve always been an ambitious one and you’re the one who could have started and won the fight like that. You were never afraid and I could believe you did all this purely of ideological reasons, but why something tells me this topic is more personal? I don’t ask as the King now.’’

Just as Michael felt before all the blood draining from his face, now he had felt it all coming back. It was terribly embarrassing, as he didn’t blush for years.

‘’It’s complicated, My King,’’ he uttered, not really meeting the other’s man eye. ‘’I has all started as the coincidence, as you’ve heard both from me and Adam, but since that time he had grown on me.’’

‘’Oh, Mike, how could I say no to you?’’ Asked Chuck almost benevolently. ‘’All I want is for you to be happy.’’

The Lord’s thoughts revolve around the times he told similar things to Adam. He sincerely hoped he didn’t sound so condescending, but he knew there’s a slim chance for that. He wondered how Adam felt in these moments, because Michael wanted to believe Chuck, but for some reason the trust he always had in his surrogate father crumbles. He didn’t know what’s real and what’s just pretended and the latest King’s not so innocent remarks made him realize how easy it might be to lose someone’s support. Once again, the nobleman wonders how Adam must have felt having Michael’s words and that only with no other guarantee, how hard it must have been to put his trust in somebody. He had reflected about it before, but now it wasn’t until now he managed to grasp this concept fully. To say he wasn’t thrilled about King’s tendency to change moods so quickly and with no good reason was an understatement.

‘’Thank you, My King,’’ he answered simply, deciding to play it safe, unsure what would he hear next. Being to grateful rarely failed anybody, though the Lord would have really appreciated if he wasn’t the object of the ruler’s jokes again. Not the first time within a few days he wondered if being the King with almost unlimited power wasn’t something Chuck took very seriously.

‘’You’re not in the most talkative mood today, Michael.’’

‘’I apologize, I’ve been talking a lot recently and I might have reached the limit, My King.’’

‘’That’s the good explanation. I hope you’ll come to Eden more often, but I understand you’ve got matters to attend at home.’’

The Lord gradually started to relax.

‘’I’m thankful for the understanding, My King.’’

‘’Please, Michael, shall you have any requests, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m always pleased to hear from you.’’

The conversations lasted a while longer, but luckily the matter of Adam or slavery in general didn’t come back. The young man was safe, Chuck wouldn’t go back on his word, but the Lord still loathed the feeling of sickening fear about Adam’s future. He wanted to believe the worst was indeed over and the best was yet to come.

When he came back to the quarters, it looked like the blond was in the better mood than Michael himself.

‘’Anna told me a few interesting things about you,’’ he said innocently.

‘’Of course, brat,’’ growled the Lord. ‘’Why am I not surprised? I should have known leaving you two together was the bad idea.’’

‘’Don’t worry, I’m not going to demoralize you precious relative,’’ winked Adam playfully.

‘’I was more afraid about the other way back.’’

Despite this lighthearted conversations, the nobleman could have said the younger man wasn’t okay. In fact, he was very far from being completely healed and even not being an expert, Michael suspected the full recovery could take years. The next day, he casually informed Adam he was going out to see a few people.

‘’Do you want to come?’’ He asked. ‘’It’s something like a ‘’Thank you party’’.’’

The blond gave him a scrutinizing glance.

‘’Since when Michael Milton is partying?’’ He inquired suspiciously.

‘’If I’d say the meeting, would it be better?’’

‘’Maybe.’’

‘’Anyway, are you coming?’’

The young man shook his head no.

‘’No offence, but I’m done with aristocracy for the long time. Just thank them from me, okay?’’

‘’Of course.’’

Adam was the survivor. He would be all right, even if it was to prove the others wrong.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slightly shorter chapter, but very much needed to push the action forward.

Adam observed with the puzzled expression how the servants and flunkies greeted him politely and ensured that he didn’t need anything.

‘’Better get used to it,’’ warned him Michael with hushed voice. ‘’With me, now you’re going to meet with this kind of treatment rather often.’’

‘’They’re doing it only because of you,’’ remarked the younger man after they were on their own again.

The nobleman rolled his eyes.

‘’You’re insufferable. Enjoy what you have.’’

‘’I’m not a charity case,’’ winced the younger man.

Michael sighed.

‘’Please, Adam, could you stop making everything so difficult?’’

‘’I’m so sorry for being the bother,’’ sneered the former slave.

‘’You’re not a…’’ started the Lord, only to halt abruptly and sighed again. ‘’Oh, for crying out loud, Adam. Could you stop being suspicious for the second? Once we leave Eden nobody would have any reason to suspect you aren’t high-born, law-abiding man.’’

‘’It would be a lie,’’ commented the blond.

‘’Maybe a little one. Take it as the compensation for the time you were treated unfairly.’’

Adam considered this argument for the while, before agreeing it might have been fair, in a rather paradoxical way, but still fair.

Without further delay, they said the last goodbyes, bidding farewell to all the allies and left Eden with something akin to relief, coming back home, to Windom.

At the first glance, nothing between them changed. Adam and Michael carried on with their little routine, spending a lot of time together. They bantered a lot, Adam getting as mouthy again as before his nervous breakdown in Eden, which secretly made the Lord immensely glad, but obviously he refused to admit it aloud. However, his former slave seemed to just know it and carried on happily with this attitude, making Michael only fall for him harder. Gosh, that spirit, it was worth everything.

Something was different, however. Once Adam felt safe enough, he also started to act in much more relaxed manner, finally not expecting to be double-crossed all the time or treated unjustly only because of freeman’s whim. He let his guards down, but the nobleman wasn’t fooled; he knew all too well the young man was ready to raise them in the second once the situation called for it. Nevertheless, hearing the boy, whose teen years has been stolen from, bursting into such a carefree laughter, looking so untroubled with that glint in the eye, it let Michael think he might actually make him truly happy.

Adam found it immensely strange, being a person again, looking at himself in the mirror and seeing a perfectly decent, well-fed, fit, neatly groomed young man, who might have even look better than the majority of people in the streets or at least mix with them and don’t feel ashamed of it or afraid of being thrown out for not belonging in the places. Sometimes, as they stopped in close proximity to some noteworthy place, Michael took him out for sightseeing, patiently answering the countless number of younger’s man excited questions, occasionally muttering something about an overgrown toddler, which unsurprisingly ended in the outraged comments on Adam’s side. Despite this, former slave’s more-laid back attitude, the almost childish enthusiasm, made the Lord smile more often as well. What saddened him a lot, though, was the fact that he didn’t manage to make the boy feel safe while he was still enslaved. Apparently, Adam needed to be freed to start to believe he won’t come to any harm. When one thought about it, it was rather reasonable, but still hurt a bit, however, after the longer while, he came to the conclusion that all’s well that ends well.

Michael reflected a lot about what Anna told him before he left Eden, wondering whether he did change, or rather how much he changed. He barely took time to think about it before, as he had more urgent matters on his mind, but looking at joyful, lively Adam, he had to decide whether he started to have a new perspective or treated only the young man in the special way. Finally he came to the conclusion that even though Adam was his absolute priority and he would go out of his way to make him happy, but in general the young man had opened his eyes. Michael vowed to be more mindful while treating the less fortunate, but he knew that both his character and upbringing wouldn’t make it easier. Anyway, if anybody, no matter of what status, would dare to raise the hand on Adam or give him other troubles, consideration be damned. He would use all his means to make the offender pay and have absolutely no qualms afterwards.

On the other hand, he knew how easy it was for the young man to get himself in trouble. Adam wasn’t exactly an innocent ball of fluff and politeness and that was why Michael instantly assumed something undesired happened when he left the younger man at one of their stays for what was supposed to be a few minutes, but turned out a longer while, only to come back and find the former slave conversing with a local Lord.

‘’Oh, Lord Michael, it’s a pleasure,’’ said the nobleman. ‘’Let me introduce myself. My name’s Zuriel. I’ve just had a rather interesting discussion with your companion. He has told me quite a few thought-provoking observations. I have to admit, I’ve never thought about these matters like that.’’

‘’Adam, what did you do this time?’’ Asked exasperated Michael, not bothering himself with being subtle.

‘’This time?’’ Inquired startled Zuriel. ‘’Lord Michael, this is the politest, the most well-mannered person I’ve had an opportunity to converse with. It is obvious he’s of the noble blood.’’

Adam bit his lips form inside, attempting to hide a smile. It took a lot from Lord Milton to hide his bewilderment as well.

‘’Thank you, Lord Zuriel. It’s a true honor to visit this fine town and meet you in person. I’m glad my companion made a positive impression on you.’’

‘’The pleasure is mine,’’ assured the other nobleman. ‘’I don’t have guests here often, so it’s a double delight. Let me wish you pleasant stay.’’

The former criminal almost rolled his eyes, sick and tired of this small talk he witnessed too often in the previous months. Luckily, it didn’t take long and he and Michael quickly departed to their rooms, where their luggage was thankfully already waiting.

Adam was first to break the silence.

‘’This time?’’ He asked with obvious pretense. ‘’What exactly have I done before?’’

‘’You may want to sit down, because it’s quite a list,’’ replied Michael sourly.

‘’Name one thing,’’ demanded outraged blond.

‘’You left the quarters on your own when we we’re in palace, remember?’’

‘’Yes, and I think I’ve already atoned for it. No need to bring it back every time.’’

‘’Every time? This was the first and only because you asked.’’

‘’Okay, what else?’’

The Lord sighed, for the countless time since he get to know Adam. Reasoning with him was exasperating.

‘’Listen, I know that you’ve got a knack to push your luck in general.’’

‘’I’m sorry I have disappointed you so much,’’ replied Adam sarcastically. ‘’If only I had known you expect me to do something stupid…Of course I can’t be polite, can I? The boy like me, after all, with such a past...’’

‘’Adam, stop this,’’ interrupted him Michael sharply, but the younger man was nowhere near stopping.

‘’I know it may be too much for you, but hope you noticed I’m not your slave anymore?’’ He asked angrily.

‘’I have never treated you as such.’’

‘’Oh, you did,’’ hummed Adam. ‘’Do you remember when…’’

‘’Enough,’’ cut him Michael off.

‘’You’re treating me like a slave now,’’ complained the blond, fire in his eyes.

‘’Darling, I’ve treated plenty of freemen like that,’’ hit back the nobleman calmly and slightly dismissively.

‘’Than you’ve got nothing to boast about,’’ snapped Adam

The Lord frowned deeply.

‘’I’m not boasting, merely stating the fact. Adam, I’m worried about you. I know you’re perfectly capable of taking your own decisions, but let me help you at least in the beginning. Let me take care of you, kid. I know interacting with me isn’t the easiest. I know I’m used to giving commands and orders.’’

‘’You also got good sides,’’ told him Adam generously, his ire subsiding at Michael’s honest and spontaneous confession. ‘’You kept me safe and you’re a decent company when you’re not bossing around.’’

‘’I guess it was supposed to be a compliment.’’

‘’Close enough,’’ grinned the former slave. ‘’You know, with all your intelligence, your sense of humor is lacking.’’

‘’You still owe me respect as your Lord,’’ growled Michael.

‘’This is what I’m talking about,’’ winked the blond.

Nobleman’s gaze softened.

‘’Oh, Adam. You’re sometimes such a brat, but I’m happy that you had a good time today.’’

‘’Yes, I actually did and then you came,’’ remarked the younger man cheekily.

‘’Don’t push it,’’ half-smiled Michael.

A year ago he wouldn’t have even considered a relationship with somebody so different from himself. In fact, a year ago he managed to convince himself that he wasn’t cut out for partnership, that he was perfectly content being alone, but so suddenly and unexpectedly everything changed. He almost shuddered at the mere memory of the day when he found Adam unconscious and bloodied. He would tell Adam, he would tell him everything, he just needed a good moment, not rushed, after giving the younger man enough time to adjust. The Lord himself had prepared for facing the comments of his inevitable intrigued, shocked and probably opposing family. He got out of Eden not to deal with nobles, but if the situation would call for it, he would defend Adam as well as his own right to happiness. In this state of things, nothing seemed to be harder than one factor. Did Adam feel the same? Maybe Michael was too optimistic in those prognoses? Maybe it was all in vain because the young man wouldn’t have any romantic feelings for him? Oh, if only Adam loved him back, then Michael could stand everything, all the problems and obstacles. The mixed marriages between nobles and commoners didn’t happen too often, but they happened. Not really in the Milton clan, but usually somewhere in province, where the was only one aristocrat family, the chances of finding the equal-born spouse were rather limited. Michael pushed enough unspoken boundaries during his quest for Adam’s liberation. Getting into the relationship couldn’t be harder in the aspect of the outraged public. Nobody said it would be easy, but he was Lord Milton. He could do it. He just had to win the blond’s heart in the first place and then everything would be just fine. Better than fine. He would have his happily ever after. He could give that to Adam, but he would respect every decision the young man would make. He stayed so far, so all in all it bode quite well for the future. Maybe this choice was the result of pragmatism, the fear of being left completely on his own again with literally no perspectives, he was there, close, spending time with Michael, both of them having fun together, sometimes arguing, but also sharing stories, especially late in the night, while they were sitting with their cups of hot tea, talking mostly about the past. Adam opened up, saying a lot about his childhood and his Mum. The nobleman once asked about his father, but the younger man replied that it didn’t matter.

‘’Oh, yes, when I was about ten or so, I was dying from curiosity, who he was, why he abandoned me and Mum, why he never helped us, but now it doesn’t matter. He’s a complete stranger to me anyway. Me and Mum, we were happy together, even if it was sometimes hard. He wasn’t there for me when I needed him the most, so I don’t need him now.’’

Michael didn’t push it further. If Adam said it didn’t matter there was no use in coming back to the closed subject, then it was his call. No use dwelling on the things they couldn’t change. They focused on happy memories and the present days. The Lord was certain Adam was thinking about the future as well, making plans he kept to himself, as if not daring to say them aloud, as if they were to not succeed if he did so. He understood that too well to ask questions. Apparently both of them were equally lost and careful in their doings. What a peculiar pair they made.

The mansion in Windom seemed so small comparing to Royal Palace. Since Adam first arrived in these walls, he always thought it was simply huge. Of course it was, objectively speaking, but he had got used to bigger size, which he obviously pointed out to Michael, who immediately hit back with something about spoilt youth. The former slave didn’t bother to bicker with him on that one. They were finally home and it was all that mattered. The journey was over, thankfully. The afternoon was rainy, but despite that the day was still beautiful.

Adam squealed in surprise as Michael picked him up bridal style and carried through the threshold.

‘’Welcome home, darling,’’ the Lord said warmly. 

Home. Safety. Michael. Funny thing as these three words became synonyms. At first Adam started to trust that Michael wouldn’t harm him, at least not intentionally. Then, he started to put his trust into the dark-haired Lord more generally, allowed himself to believe Michael would be on his side, would fight for him and he was right. In the meantime, he started to simply like the man. With time, this gradually transformed into something more.

After long months of absence, coming back to this town, this particular room he used to live in before his departure, about which he started to think as his own, it indeed felt like coming back home. The mansion walls no longer felt like prison. Worse, it felt like a shelter, his own space, one he was welcome to spend time into, unperturbed. Finally, he was safe and content, sleeping in his own bed. What a bitter irony. Adam dreamt for months about leaving this place and never coming back. Now, he was free to do as he pleased, but the yearning to leave disappeared. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. Adam felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. He didn’t want to leave. He realized with terror what happened. He fell in love with Lord Milton. Oh no.


	29. Chapter 29

Oh no, oh no. This just couldn’t be happening. Unable to lay calmly for any second longer after making this uncanny discovery about his own feelings, Adam sat down on the bed, trying to compose himself. He fell in love in the last person he should. This couldn’t end well, not now, not ever. He couldn’t do it to Michael. He would have to leave as soon as possible. He had to accept some help from the Lord, it was the necessity, but he would only take bare minimum, he would manage, as no matter what Michael claimed, he wasn’t spoilt. Luxuries were nice, of course, he wasn’t the one to deny such an obvious fact and he got used to them, as probably the majority of people would have in his place, but he had dealt with less than meager conditions before, so it would be okay. He would get the job and move as far as possible from the Lord. 

After the first panic attack, Adam started to think more clearly. On the one hand, what did he have to lose. It wasn’t like Michael would kick him out. It would be terribly awkward, though, after Adam would let it off his chest and undoubtedly startle Michael, and this wasn’t the desired result. On the other hand, Mike didn’t even have a reasonable motive to love Adam back. Didn’t he repeat the countless number of times he was the Lord? The one with pure, undulated blue blood and impeccable manners? Didn’t he look down on many people? The blond had witnessed enough times his condescending smirk and harsh tone which made even the nobles back down and stay submissive. Of course, he was trying to push aside his prejudices when it came to Adam, but there was a whole lot difference between freeing and relationship. Besides, the realization was still fresh, coming up so unexpectedly, but Adam was never the one to tarry. He had to do something, one way or another, because his own passiveness would drive him crazy before he knew it.

Adam spent almost the whole night staring in the dark, weighting the both options. It was almost the dawn when he made the choice. He had to try or he would never look himself in the eyes in the mirror again. He wouldn’t be a coward. He would take the chance. He never backed down, not in the darkest days and wouldn’t start now. Mum always said the Milligans don’t give up and he had sworn to himself long time ago he would always be a true Milligan, no matter what would happen. He would confess all his feelings to Michael and then, come what may. It would undoubtedly be terribly awkward, but there was no other way. He couldn’t just live and carry on like nothing changed. He was never good in pretending, he couldn’t lie to Michael and he couldn’t lie to himself.

There was almost morning and he knew he wouldn’t fall asleep anyway, so despite the weariness, he decided to get up and get dressed. Just as he suspected, facing the nobleman made him uncomfortable, even if Michael was blissfully unaware about his recent realization. At the breakfast, Adam didn’t have much appetite, resorting rather to sipping coffee lazily, while the Lord was in exceptionally good mood.

‘’Isn’t it the beautiful morning?’’ He asked with enthusiasm. ‘’I can virtually feel the energy rushing past my veins. How are you doing?’’

‘’Actually, I barely had any sleep this night,’’ replied Adam in what he hoped was the neutral voice. It was hard to focus when the nobleman’s hazel eyes shone on like that. A rare occurrence, but he had to admit it happened much more often than when he and Mike had first met.

Michael blinked in surprise.

‘’Oh, I have slept like a log. There’s no place like home, especially after the journey like this.’’

‘’Probably,’’ agreed the blond, not really in the mood to carry on with conversation.

The Lord shot him a worried glance.

‘’You don’t consider this place home, right?’’

The younger man started to explain himself instantly, feeling guilty for saddening the nobleman.

‘’Mike, it’s not like that…’’

‘’Easy, easy,’’ interrupted him the other man. ‘’I know this isn’t you ideal setting and you’ve got the bunch of unhappy memories about it.’’

‘’More like terrible. Unhappy is way too mild,’’ corrected him the Adam with a small, slightly playful smile. ‘’Besides, some of my associations are quite good.’’

‘’At least that,’’ sighed the nobleman with relief.

The younger man covered his mouth with his hand to stifle the yawn.

‘’Listen, Mike, I’m just half-awake now. It’s good to be finally back, but can we talk about it another time?’’

‘’Sure,’’ agreed the brunette swiftly.

So here he was back, in the place everything started. Everything seemed the same, but so much changed since that time. He was indeed very curious how he would be treated after the significant change in his status occurred. Luckily, there was at least one person on whom he could count on no matter of his legal standing. He just had to look for her, but he was in no rush. When he found her, she was so engrossed in work she didn’t even notice the intrusion.

‘’Charlie,’’ he called softly. ‘’Look who’s back.’’

The red-head froze, while the feather-duster slipped from her hand. Adam took a few steps forward, but before he knew he was enveloped in the bone-crushing hug.

‘’Don’t you dare to leave me again for so long, Adam,’’ she exclaimed. ‘’It was terribly boring without you here.’’

‘’First thing, it wasn’t exactly my call and second, boring, with all the people who are constantly running here? I don’t believe you.’’

She smacked his arm playfully.

‘’You’d better, cause I’m not letting you go anytime again. Tell me, how did it go? Oh, Adam, are you…?’’

She didn’t finish the sentence, but they both knew she didn’t have to.

‘’Yes, I’m free,’’ he confirmed.

She let out a sigh of relief, almost as if it was about her own fate.

‘’This is what I’ve heard, but I needed it from your own lips to be sure.’’

Adam frowned slightly.

‘’What you’ve heard?’’

‘’Oh, yes, the news are spreading with the speed of the lightening. Among the servants, at least.’’

He laughed softly.

‘’Why it doesn’t surprise me? I guess there must be quite the lot of confusion.’’

‘’Yep, it is, but screw it. I wish we had enough time for you to tell me everything. I’m dying from curiosity.’’

‘’I guess you’re busy, right?’’

‘’Uhm, rather yes. Sorry, Adam, not everybody’s as lucky as you. Some of us have to work.’’

‘’Charlie, don’t you remember what happened to me not to long ago?’’

‘’Of course I do. You were so famished and emaciated and now look at you.’’

‘’Thank you. Anyway, the mere fact I’ve been freed doesn’t mean I can’t help with cleaning and tell you everything in the meantime.’’

She appeared hesitant.

‘’Are you sure? I mean, who exactly you are now? I mean, maybe you shouldn’t clean? Aren’t you, like, above me now or something?’’

‘’Charlie, c’mon. I’m a friend. You have no reason to be worried about this above and below nonsense. Besides, no one will know, right? I’m sure Michael wouldn’t mind, anyway and who else are you afraid of?’’

‘’Thank goodness you didn’t change, Adam. Now tell me everything with details.’’

So he did. Charlie listened to him closely, wide-eyed but alert, asking a lot of questions in the meantime.

‘’I envy you so much,’’ she confessed. ‘’You met the King.’’

The man tried not to shudder at that memory.

‘’Trust me, this wasn’t exactly the pleasant experience, but all’s well that ends well.’’

‘’Yes and I can’t believe Lord Michael went from all this just for you. You’re indeed born under the lucky star.’’

‘’I beg to differ.’’

‘’Oh, shut up, you malcontent.’’

‘’Thanks, Charlie. You didn’t change too.’’

Of course the bliss couldn’t last too long. It started innocently. Having the mostly sleepless night, Adam felt somewhat fatigued in the afternoon. His head was heavy and he got overly sleepy, so he lied down for the nap. However, despite his expectations he didn’t feel better after the few hours in bed. In fact, he felt much worse. Michael checked up on him with his usual serious face, asking why did he miss the meals and is he fine, because he looked just like the opposite of that, but the younger man found himself too weak even to speak more than a few words, which, needless to say, was very infuriating, as he found himself helpless again. However, since every move hurt, Adam had bigger, more down-to-earth worries. The Lord didn’t wait long and called for the doctor, rather not risking meddling with the healing process himself, as he was the complete ignorant in that field, even if he just longed to help his beloved blond and have him in his usual self as fast as possible. 

The physician couldn’t help but wonder when have he seen the patient before, because the young man was somewhat familiar, but didn’t dare to ask the nobleman who exactly was he treating. He was just doing his job, after all, however, there was more than enough evidence to assume the patient was someone important to Michael, sending the undercover message to the doctor that he should be extremely cautious to make an effort to help him. It took him longer than he presumed to talk Adam into cooperating, as the latter refused to get out of the warm bed and be poked and prodded with cold instruments, but finally gave up allowed to be checked up without much fuss. The problem was, the doctor wasn’t exactly pleased with the results of the examination. The boy shouldn’t be as kitten-weak. Physician walked out of the earshot and started to explain to Michael the best method of treatment and leaving prescription.

‘’Unfortunately, I’m not exactly certain what it is, My Lord,’’ he admitted in the end, hoping his previous advice would lessen the blow, preparing himself for the nobleman’s wrath which was inevitable to come. Michael didn’t berate him in the open way, but shot him such a condemning look that the poor man felt instantly unimaginably incompetent.

‘’You are said to be the best doctor in this town,’’ the Lord said in the dead, emotionless voice.

‘’I’ll do my best,’’ he promised, trying to placate the powerful aristocrat, who, luckily for the physician was too troubled with Adam’s health to be cross with the doctor.

‘’What can you say about this state, then?’’ Asked the nobleman, determined to get out as much intel as he could.

‘’The stress or fatigue can cause the illness like that,’’ explained the doctor hurriedly.

‘’He’s been through a lot recently,’’ whispered Michael sorrowfully.

‘’He’s young, healthy, his body should fight this infection,’’ tried to comfort him the doctor. ‘’He’ll be right as rain in the matter of weeks.’’

‘’Weeks?’’ echoed the Lord solemnly.

‘’He might need time to recover fully, but the worst shall be over within the days.’’

‘’I hope so,’’ muttered Michael weakly, walking away to sit back next to Adam’s bed. The young man had pale cheeks, he was slightly trembling and his breathing was disturbingly shallow.

‘’Adam? Darling? Do you want something to drink?’’ Tried the nobleman gently, but the former slave didn’t seem to comprehend.

‘’Cold,’’ he uttered, his teeth clattering, despite being already wrapped in more than enough layers.

It almost felt like déjà vu, but this time it was harder for Michael to bear. Much, much harder. First time, he was angry for the Zachariah’s mindless cruelty and bloodlust and he understandably wished for Adam to be patched up and healed, but this time he was trembling for the former slave’s wellbeing. He personally covered the boy with another blanket, determined to make him as comfortable as it was in his might. The days and nights spend by the beds of his siblings finally were paying off, as they gave Mike some experience and idea what to do in such a situation. He kept repeating himself to be patient, but he couldn’t help but wish for Adam just to miraculously recover. For the first two days he was rather calm, knowing perfectly well beating the infection needed time, but slowly he was growing restless, especially that Adam’s state was getting only worse and worse and nothing helped, nothing seemed to bring the desired result. The former slave was barely responsive and the nights were even worse than days. Michael had never in his life been so much afraid like that, not even in the battlefield, in the eve or the middle of the fight, no matter how desperate the situation was and for what measures it called. He was worried sick about the young man. He reminded himself what Adam told him about his mother’s death; the symptoms of the illness matched. Adam couldn’t die, he just couldn’t, not now, now anytime soon, not after finally getting the life he deserved, not after everything he had been trough. All this suffering couldn’t have been in vain and Michael didn’t even had the chance to tell him how much he loved him. He didn’t experienced such a misery since his father passed away. At least than he could have comforted himself Father had his years and a great life lived to full, but Adam was so young, too young to wilt like a most precious flower in the garden. He loved gardens so much, now he might never have the chance to see them again. It almost made Lord Milton, the hardened warrior, cry, but he knew the tears wouldn’t make anything better.

The third night was the worst. His own exhaustion slowly started to take a toll, but he refused to leave Adam’s side. He wished to have somebody by his side to confide in, but he was all alone with his solemn thought. At least until he heard the light doorsteps, so light he would have probably miss them in the daytime commotion, but easy to catch in the middle of the night.

‘’My Lord,’’ spoke shyly the feminine voice from behind. ‘’My Lord, forgive me my bluntness, but you have to sleep too.’’

Michael turned around to see Charlie staying in the doorframe. He sent her a grateful smile and asked:

‘’Tell me, have you ever loved somebody?’’

The red-head nodded.

‘’Her name is Dorothy, My Lord. She’s my everything.’’

The nobleman rubbed his weary eyes.

‘’Good. Having someone to live changes everything, doesn’t it?’’

‘’Yes, My Lord,’’ she agreed eagerly. ‘’My Lord, I’ll stay with Adam till the morning. If anything changes, I’ll inform you immediately. I beg you, My Lord, we all need you in the better shape than now.’’

‘’Charlie, you managed without me for quite a long time. I’m certain you can last for a few more days.’’

‘’We do, My Lord, but Adam needs you rested. You won’t help him like that, My Lord’’ she pointed out almost pleadingly.

The nobleman wanted to argue, but this girl was right. He was staying awake only by a sheer willpower.

‘’Let it be,’’ he agreed. ‘’What exactly are you doing here at this hour?’’

‘’I stayed for the night, as I’ve got the morning shift, My Lord. Coming back home and then back here would take too much time.’’

‘’I see. Well, consider yourself excused from all the duties. Just stay with Adam,’’ he ordered, but sounded more than plea.

‘’I will, My Lord. I care about him as well.’’

Not so long ago Michael wouldn’t even consider having a talk like that, but he was too tired and drained to keep up the appearances. Besides, he was happy for Adam to get such a devoted friend and last but not least, he could eventually get a few hours of sleep himself.

The next morning nothing changed, though. The doctor would never forget the Lord’s ashen face and hollow eyes when he got informed that the sick man might not make it through another night.

Adam, however, clung desperately to the life and refused to leave Michael alone. He was fighting with all his might and while it took almost a week for the fever to break, his will to live ultimately won. Still terribly weak and dizzy, he opened his weary eyes only to find Michael dozing off in the armchair. For the first time in days nothing particular was hurting and despite his overall state, something told him the worst was over. Good, because he had big plans to do and didn’t want to waste more time on not knowing.

‘’Michael?’’ He whispered, his throat still sore. ‘’I’m back to the land of the living. You’re not getting rid of me anytime soon.’’

The Lord’s eyes sprung often almost immediately.

‘’Adam?’’ He asked hesitantly, crouching next to the bed. ‘’Are you feeling better?’’

‘’Definitely,’’ the young man agreed. ‘’Could you get me something to eat? I’m terribly hungry.’’

‘’Of course. Welcome back. I knew you would fight it, you sly thing.’’

‘’I prefer to be called artful.’’

‘’Sure you do.’’

‘’C’mon, Mike, don’t start it again. Anyway, it would be stupid to give up now, right?’’

‘’Absolutely,’’ agreed Michael, eyeing the younger man with such a tenderness that Adam assumed he might have stand a chance with his love confession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any idea what Adam's second name might be? It will come handy later.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies and gentleman, here is the chapter we all have been waiting for. Are you excited? Because I am.

In the following days Adam was still considerably weakened, but to Michael’s great relief, everything indicated the worst was over. Despite the younger man’s reassurances, he insisted on calling the doctor one more time for an expert opinion and after the prolonged coaxing and seeing such a great concern in the Lord’s beautiful, dark eyes, Adam gave up. Of course he couldn’t do it without some kind of ironical comment, but he did, which the nobleman took it as the sign everything was getting back to the norm.

‘’You didn’t have to be sitting here with me all the time, you know?’’ The ex-offender asked Michael one afternoon, when he was still lying in bed, regaining his strength, half-covered with blanket and surrounded by countless pillows.

‘’Maybe, but I want to,’’ replied the Lord slightly ominously.

Adam hoisted himself to sitting position, still clutching the blanket tightly.

‘’Don’t you have something else to do?’’ He asked, waiting with beating heart for an answer, hoping it would be a negative one, but the nobleman answered with the question instead.

‘’Is my presence bothering you in any way?’’

‘’No, I’m just surprised. I thought you’d be busy with something. Surely you must have something to do after all this absence,’’ explained the blond softly.

‘’It can wait a few more days. If it worries you so much some things I’ve got already handled,’’ assured the aristocrat.

‘’It’s still impressive how much time you spent here when I was feeling really bad. You know, Charlie told me, but even if she didn’t, I still felt your presence. Thanks for that, it was truly reassuring,’’ said Adam sincerely, looking at the other man with gratefulness.

Was his mind playing ticks on him or did Michael just tensed?

‘’You’re welcome, darling. Did Charlie tell you something more?’’

Was it a apprehension in his voice?

‘’No, nothing. Why you’re asking?’’ Inquired intrigued younger man.

‘’It’s nothing important. Well, your doctor shall be here in the second, so I’ll leave you now and take care of all the matters you seem so concern about.’’ The Lord maneuvered to get himself out of the conversation.

Hmm, interesting. Adam assumed Michael would prefer to be present during the visit and he would gladly let him stay. Sure, why not, Mike had become really close to him, so he wouldn’t mind this kind of intrusion into his private sphere. Another thing, the Lord looked almost in the way that might be called anxious if it was about any other person, but Michael never was anxious. What was happening?

Before he came to the fruitful conclusion, the familiar figure appeared in his half-opened door.

‘’Good afternoon. May I come in?’’ Asked the physician.

‘’Of course,’’ answered the blond politely.

‘’Could you tell me how are you doing today?’’ The doctor approached closer and left his leather brown bag on the table.

‘’You came again, doctor,’’ hummed Adam, not being completely able to resist a temptation of making the guest a bit uncomfortable. ‘’Suddenly you’re not so bold like when we first met.’’

The physician felt himself sweating despite the other’s man relatively neutral, rather gentle tone.

‘’Bold? I would never disrespect you, sir,’’ he uttered, unsure how to title his patient. He honestly wished this young man wouldn’t complain the Lord about the supposed mistreatment and one thing the doctor was certain about, was that Michael would take Adam’s word over his own. ‘’May I examine you, sir?’’

‘’So now you’re asking? You didn’t need my permission before,’’ replied the former slave, staring at the milky haze through the window.

‘’I apologize, sir, but when the illness started, you were barely responsive,’’ defended himself the doctor.

‘’Nah, I’m not talking about this. I think you remember, but you don’t want to think about it. Or maybe not, I was just another slave, after all. Though, how many Masters call doctors for their slaves on the other hand? Yeah, I think you remember this one. Didn’t you tell me to show you more respect?’’

‘’How?’’ Whispered befuddled physician, everything coming back to him, confirming his deeps suspicions, ones he dismissed as absurd ones, the single word coming out of his mouth with much difficulty, not being able to finish the question.

Adam shrugged.

‘’Long story short, quite a lot of happened. What matters, I’m free again.’’

‘’I remember, but I didn’t want to believe my own eyes,’’ admitted the other man, deciding he got nothing much to lose. ‘’Do you want to get your revenge?’’ He asked directly with fear visible in his eyes. He had little to no doubt that this somewhat mysterious young man can give if trouble if he wished so.

The former criminal shot him a scrutinizing glare.

‘’No, not really. I just wanted you to know, remember this for the future and to treat all you patients with respect. You know, slaves are hurting just the same way as freemen, maybe even more due too poor conditions and malnourishment. Unpopular view, but that’s the fact.’’ 

‘’Thank you, sir,’’ sighed the relieved physician, while the blond shifted nervously. Was the poor guy afraid of him? It looked like this. Adam suddenly felt troubled. Michael was right, ordering people right from the position of power (funny thing, he legally had none of it, but everybody just assumed it looked differently) was surprisingly easy. He really had to talk about it with Mike, later. Or maybe with Charlie, she was probably more objective in this matter.

‘’Doctor?’’ He asked.

‘’Yes, sir?’’ Answered immediately the other man, looking apprehensive again, making Adam feel almost sorry for him.

‘’Can we carry on with the treatment? I told Michael I’m doing fine, but he says that he would feel better about it if you have a look on me.’’

‘’Yes, sir,’’ replied the doctor dutifully, starting to breathe easily again.

‘’Thank you. One more thing, don’t call me sir.’’

‘’Yes, Mr Adam.’’

The young man almost rolled his eyes, but made no further comment and took the top of his pajamas off, allowing the physician to do his job.

Michael checked at him later, carrying the book with himself.

‘’Here, the one you asked for, but don’t burn the midnight oil with it.’’

‘’I won’t,’’ promised Adam.

‘’Of course,’’ replied the Lord in the tone which clearly suggested he didn’t believe the him. Once the latter started engrossing into his passion, he was often getting close to forgetting about the outside world.’’

‘’I won’t, seriously,’’ repeated the former slave. ‘’However, even if I did, don’t fret about that. I had more than enough sleep recently.’’

‘’What did the doctor tell you?’’

‘’Nothing that surprised me, you worried needlessly. I’m healing well, nothing you should be concerned about. Okay, there was one thing.’’ Playful, mischievous twinkles flashed in Adam’s eyes. ‘’You need to take care of me, be extra attentive and spoil me more.’’

‘’Spoil you more? You’re spoilt more than enough, you brat. Wasn’t I already extra attentive already?’’

Adam laughed shortly.

‘’Isn’t it our Lord who we all love and adore? This was just in your style, I didn’t expect anything different from you.’’

Michael shook his head slowly in mock-condemnation.

‘’You’re insufferable, brat.’’

‘’Heard this before, you’re repeating yourself.’’

The Lord reached out the hand and toyed with Adam’s dark blond strands for the short while.

‘’Because you refuse to change. Good. I’m done with all these servile people around me.’’

‘’What do I look to you, your one-man entertainment show?’’

‘’Back to the form, I see.’’

Adam grinned innocently.

‘’You bet.’’

The nobleman left, leaving the blond even more touch-starved and determined to feel that hand fiddling with his hair more often.

The next morning Adam decided he felt well enough to get up, get dressed and move around. He was slightly dizzy, but blamed it on nerves. After all, what he wasn’t supposed to do wasn’t easy, but he had already decided it was necessary, even if for his own peace of mind. He almost hesitated before opening the door to Michael’s personal quarters, his hand frozen for a few seconds before he shook his head and pressed the handle firmly. Now there was no turning back. If he run away now, he wouldn’t get the courage to pull himself together and have this talk.

The nobleman was sitting at the desk, going through some formidably looking pile of documents, ceasing that instantly at the arrival of the unexpected visitor. Adam took a step forward, suddenly weak-kneed, but somehow he managed to stay upright.

‘’Mike? Are you busy?’’ He certainly hoped Michael wasn’t. It took enough of him to and come here once.

‘’It can wait,’’ replied the Lord, pushing the pile aside. ‘’Did you came to disturb me while I’m working?’’

‘”You can say so,’’ answered Adam while coming closer. The way he maneuvered between the furniture left Michael almost breathless. Luckily, he sat down elegantly in the armchair, staring the Lord straight in the eye with unreadable expression. The nobleman started to seriously consider whether the good moment to confess his feelings came, the one for which he waited and wished so much to be perfect, before he realized that there would be a fault with every single one, so he just had to make the move and dare to make it as special as he could.

‘’I want to tell you something,’’ declared Adam seriously.

‘’Well, I want to tell you something too,’’ replied Michael, in a second deciding to give it a go.

‘’Me first,’’ hurried the former criminal.

‘’All right,’’ agreed the brunette, tensing again.

‘’Okay,’’ sighed Adam. ‘’I don’t know how to say this. It’s hard. Please don’t laugh at me.’’

‘’I never would,’’ assured Mike.

‘’Okay, so it’s important, at least for me. Gosh, that’s embarrassing. Where shall I start?’’ He asked more himself then the Lord, but the latter suggested him helpfully to start from the beginning.

‘’Okay,’’ sighed the younger man. ‘’From the beginning, yes. So I think it started some time ago. In Eden I guess or maybe later, when we’re coming back? I’m not sure myself. Anyway, cutting long story short, coming straight to the point, no matter how strange it might sound…’’

The freed man was almost out of breath.

‘’I’m in love in you,’’ he mumbled quietly.

‘’Excuse me?’’ Asked instantly the shell-shocked Michael, half-convinced he his ears were playing tricks on him. He couldn’t hear what he heard, right? It was near impossible.

‘’Oh, please don’t make me repeat it,’’ groaned crimsoned-cheeked former slave. ‘’I love you. I’m a sappy idiot who have fallen for his Lord. I guess I’m not the first one like that. What counts is now you know. Do with that knowledge what you wish.’’

The nobleman took a deep breath. This was just too good to be true, no matter how much he wished it was. He reminded himself to be careful, even if it took all of his self-restraint not to take Adam in his arms, kiss him senseless and never let him go, filling the void in his aching heart. 

‘’Listen, Adam, I’d hate to take advantage out of you. If you think you owe me anything, please don’t. Don’t offer me your….Services out of gratitude,’’ he said slowly, but the younger man was already getting back to the form, assuming the worst part was over. He glared at the Lord defiantly, as if challenging him.

‘’Nah, you listen. How dare you to think I’m offering something out of gratitude? Sure, I’m grateful for what you’ve done for me, still, you’re insulting me suggesting I’ll like to repay you in such a manner. Really, I don’t know how could I have fallen in love with somebody like that. My bloody luck, it just happened.’’

To Michael’s relief, it sounded much more Adam-like, convincing him that the blond’s feelings were true. Now the ball was in his field. It was high time to say these words aloud, as apparently Adam had more courage than him.

‘’Adam, I have to confess to something too. I love you. I love you so much that it hurts. You’ve been intriguing me since I first laid eyes on you. I love you so much that I was afraid to confess you that, because I thought you might just bolt and leave me. I’m not proud of that.’’

The former criminal opened his mouth agape.

‘’Like really?’’ He asked with disbelief.

‘’With whole my heart, like nobody before. You’re the only one, darling. You’re so special.’’

The Lord gazed at him with starry eyes, but Adam must have had certainty. There was no room for doubt when the stake was that high.

‘’And you’re not making this up only to make me feel better?’’

Michael shook his head no, before replying seriously.

‘’No matter how much I care about your good mood and wellbeing, this would be too far-fetched even for me. I would never lie to you. I think you should know this by now.’’

The younger’s man face lit up.

‘’This is the best news I heard in my life. I can’t believe it’s happening.’’

‘’Me neither,’’ laughed the Lord carelessly, the tension pent up for weeks finally getting out. ‘’Come here finally, darling. It’s been too long, sweetheart.’’

Adam tilted his head with a smile dancing in his bright eyes.

‘’For somebody with so many military achievements you don’t sound like the most courageous man,’’ he commented.

‘’I know. Love you too, darling. When you just waltzed here today I thought maybe it was the time to tell you, but you were faster, sunshine. Good for you.’’

In a second, Adam found himself sitting on Michael’s lap, hands buried in his dark hair, kissing him like no tomorrow.

''I still can't believe it,'' he managed to say, taking the breath between kisses.

''Me neither,'' admitted Michael. ''I was too scared of you thinking you might feel pressured or uncomfortable.''

''Funny thing, I thought I would be making you uncomfortable. How did it even happen?''

''Let me think.'' The Lord pretended to be wondering hard. ''I think it's started with you in peril and I just came in good time.''

''First thing, I’m not a damsel in distress, and second, Mike, trust me, you gave me a lot of fright a couple of times yourself.''

''Sorry about that,'' apologized the Lord sincerely.

‘’We’ve been both such idots, Mike, not having this talk earlier.’’

''Agreed, fully agreed.''

The former slave moved to sit down on the desk in order to look at his love interest closer, accidentally knocking over the ink bottle.

Immediately, both of them hurried to minimize the damage, but it was already too late, Michael focusing on saving the documents from the dark flood and Adam jumping to check the size of the spot on the carpet. The ink, unfortunately managed to leak almost fully.

''Your carpet is ruined,'' commented the blond unhappily, picking the glass bottle up.

''I liked it,'' replied Michael equally glumly, the mood ruined for the while.

''Do you still want the clumsy me?'' Asked Adam.

''Always,'' assured him the brunette. ''However, I’ve never expected this bottle to be so capacious.''

''I'm sorry.''

''Don't worry, it probably can be fixed. By the way, it's our carpet now. Our, not mine. We'll have it cleaned. I'll call somebody in the second. Adam, your hands are already soiled. It's not your job to do.''

''It's nothing. Besides, I had it worse, even in your kitchens.''

‘’Accept this as apology.’’ The nobleman pulled him into one final kiss, not caring about the dark stains that the former criminal accidentally left on his white tunic and left to call servants, who came without delay to save what was left to save.

''There won't be a spot,'' one of them assured, but Adam somehow doubted that. After the carpet was taken away to be washed, he and Michael locked themselves in the in the Lord's bedroom to carry on with the conversation.

''Hey, Ads, head up. As I've told you, it's nothing. Luckily it wasn't the family heirloom or anything.''

''Not so long ago the overseer would skin me alive for something like that,'' commented Adam solemnly, sitting on the bed.

''Not if I knew about it,'' assured him Michael, taking the other side. ‘’I stopped this barbarity under my roof as soon as I found out about it.’’

''I know, but admit it, you wouldn't be happy about me doing so.''

''Let's just assume in that case scenario you probably wouldn't even be in my rooms in the first place. I won't let anyone hurt you. These days are over, the best is yet to come, for me and for you.''

‘’Michael, what you said before about memories, I mean the morning after we arrived, just before I got sick, I don’t care about what was then, not anymore. I had bad memories, but does it matter? Let’s make new ones.’’

''Sounds like a plan, the one I'm very excited to anticipate in. Where have you been my whole life?''

''Not so far away, Mike, but this doesn't matter. What matters is here and now. I wish Mum was here today,'' remarked Adam with a tad of melancholy.

''I wish I had known your mum, darling.''

''Well, me too, but maybe in this case scenario we wouldn't even met in the first place.''

''No, I don't believe it. We had to run into each other, one way or another. At least now I know why all my previous relationships didn't work out.''

''If you met with people like Naomi, that's not a big surprise,'' chuckled Adam. Michael caressed his hand.

''Let's not talk about exes.''

''Mike, are we in relationship now?'' Inquired the blond seriously.

''Yes, we do, if you only wish so.''

''How could I not? I was the one who came here.'' Adam reminded that cold-headedly.

''I've told you that before, you're much braver than I ever been.''

''If my memory serves me correctly, you had said ''stronger'' that time.''

''That too.''

The younger man rested his head on the Lord’s chest.

‘’I can’t believe I found my way into your bed. I can’t believe I’m here and I’m blissfully happy about it.’’

‘’That makes two of us, sunshine.’’

‘’Does it mean I can move to your bed, like permanently?’’

‘’I would love to. I missed your closeness.’’

‘’I didn’t want to push you aside.’’

''Same here, but at least we're on the same page now.''

‘’This way you wouldn’t have a heir,’’ noted Adam with a tinge of sadness.

‘’Everything I’ve told you before about Jack still applies. You’ll love him from where you stand. Everybody does.’’

‘’I’m going to meet him?’’

‘’Of course, you’re the part of the family now, as my, I believe it’s called partner.’’

‘’Partner,’’ repeated the blond slowly. ‘’I like that. It sounds serious, official, like everything becoming real to an outside world. Are you ready for it?’’

‘’Of course. It means a thing.’’

‘’Well, if we’re in bedroom, it must mean a thing, at least for me,’’ smiled Adam teasingly.

Michael gently pushed him into the lying position, kissing him fiercely.

‘’I know you need to rest, but if you’re willing…’’ he stated, unsure if he was pushing it too far.

‘’I’ve been resting for more than enough time,’’ whispered Adam seductively. ‘’Let’s do it. Don’t keep me waiting anymore.’’

‘’I don’t want to pressure you,’’ replied the Lord. ‘’Are you a virgin?’’

‘’Don’t laugh at me, but yes. About the second, thing, I’ve told you countless of time, I’m not easy to be pressured. I’m rather irritated, however, you’re stalling.’’

‘’I’m not stalling, love,’’ answered the nobleman, helping his newfound lover with his tunic.

It was the first time Adam submitted and did it willingly and happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drums, trumpets and fireworks, it happened. It took me 30 chapters and over three months to get at this point but here we are. Thank you everyone who had patience to last with me to this point and I assure you, this is not the end. By the way, I hope I didn’t push Adam and Michael to the next step too fast, but they waited for each other so long, I’m considering myself excused.


	31. Chapter 31

Before Adam realized that, he had already moved in to Michael’s quarters. It didn’t take long, as he still hadn’t got much to his name and the Lord’s living room only was almost the size of his old flat, not even talking about the other apartments, so he was perfectly fine with the accommodations. He had now all the material things he could have ever dreamt about, but the best thing was Michael’s closeness anyway. They have agreed that Adam would stay at home for the time being and wait with pursuing his studies until the next academic year would start. On the one hand the younger man wished to finally get the grip on his childhood dream, but in the altered circumstances he didn’t wish to leave Mike, especially not so soon. Besides, he still had a lot to catch up in his lacking education and the Lord started talking something about hiring him a tutor or maybe two, once he found a suitable candidate, but all this seemed just so unreal. Why somebody would make such an effort especially for him? Though the nobleman claimed it wasn’t a hassle, rather the opposite.

For the time being Adam was walking on clouds, so the more serious problems were happily pushed aside in his mind, focusing on here and now. He still struggled with nightmares from time to time, unable to push the traumatizing events out of his mind, the scary visions attacking him in the dead of the night, but Michael was always there for him, to his rescue, cuddling him, embracing, comforting till he was ready to peacefully fall asleep again. 

Adam had everything he had lost his hope for a long time ago. Home, stable loving relationship, the wonderful boyfriend who treated him like the most precious jewel. Michael was his salvation in more than one meaning to this word. Adam was waking up every morning in the spacious bed with the dark-haired man next to him or at least in the close proximity when he woke up first and started to work early. The former slave always remembered to make his displeasure about waking up alone known by voicing it outright to the nobleman, who usually ceased his doings for the while to at least give his boyfriend a small kiss, which placated the latter enough to not be cross anymore. Sometimes when the Lord was busy for too long with something else instead of cuddling, dissatisfied and impatient Adam nudged him till he agreed to leave the less urgent matters waiting and keep Adam company.

‘’You needy and clingy,’’ commented the nobleman, tousling the former slave’s hair indulgently, as Adam rested his head on his thigh, purring contently while being caressed with Mike’s big, warm hand. With time, after he got a bit bored with the abundance of free time, he started to help the Lord with managing the big mansion and all the fields and lands belonging to Michael. The nobleman patiently explained him the basics of the management and told him how the mansion functioned.

‘’I seriously didn’t think it’s possible to have so much possessions,’’ Adam commented one evening, frown on his forehead, trying to keep up with all the numbers and plans.

‘’Now you know,’’ replied the nobleman, not even bothering to raise his head from his own pile. ‘’I guess now it is clear why I have so much staff?’’

‘’Oh, yes, now it does. Before I seriously thought you’re just showing off.’’

‘’And lazing away?’’

‘’Exactly.’’

‘’Thank you for believing in me. Anyway, soon there shall be much less work in here. None of this things need my personal attention, so I’ll have my people work on the majority of them.’’

‘’Great,’’ purred Adam. ‘’More time for me.’’

Michael laughed softly.

‘’Don’t I have the right to some private time?’’

‘’No,’’ replied the blond earnestly.

‘’It’s not fair,’’ complained the Lord.

‘’Life isn’t fair,’’ remarked the younger man philosophically.

‘’We should make it as fair as we can. Please don’t tell me I’m a hopeless idealist.’’

‘’Yes, honey, you definitely are. I’m absolutely convinced that from two of us, I’m the more cynical one.’’

‘’I like being an idealist than,’’ smiled the Lord and leaned to kiss his boyfriend. ‘’I love you so much, sunshine.’’

‘’Love you too, sappy old man,’’ replied the blond with a cheeky grin, returning the kiss.

‘’Hey, I’m not that old,’’ protested Michael vehemently.

‘’You’re almost the decade older than me,’’ remarked Adam lightly, shrugging indifferently. For some reason the Lord remained rather silent for the rest of the evening and went to bed earlier than usual. The ex-offender joined him shortly afterwards.

The next morning Michael kissed Adam gently on the shoulder.

‘’Hey,’’ he whispered. ‘’Awake already?’’

‘’I was sleeping, but somebody just woke me up,’’ replied the fair-haired man, pretending to be grumpy, but the nobleman looked through this act with ease.

‘’Sorry,’’ he apologized quickly. ‘’I just couldn’t wait till you open your pretty eyes. Will you ever forgive me?’’ He asked with exaggerated seriousness.

‘’With you asking so nicely, you don’t give me much choice,’’ answered Adam, unable to keep straight face and bursting into laughter, Michael joining him almost immediately. 

‘’Adam, I need to ask you something very important,’’ he said, after catching his breath again.

‘’Yeah?’’

‘’Do you have a second name?’’

‘’Second name?’’ Echoed slightly confused Adam. ‘’Uhm, yes. Why are you asking?’’

‘’Just because. So, will you tell me what your second name is?’’ Inquired further the Lord.

‘’Make a guess,’’ demanded the younger man insolently.

The nobleman almost rolled his eyes.

‘’Please don’t start playing this game again.’’

‘’You love it,’’ commented the ex-offender.

‘’When you’re not overdoing it,’’ pointed out Michael, shifting his position slightly to look his boyfriend straight in the eye.

‘’I’ve just started,’’ hummed Adam. ‘’I can play it much longer.’’

‘’I don’t doubt that. Okay, I have no guesses. C’mon, just spill it. Is this such a great mystery?’’

The other man sighed in exasperation.

‘’You’re no fun today. All right. It’s James, after my maternal grandfather. Nothing unorthodox, I guess.’’

‘’It’s a good, solid name.’’

Adam shifted himself to the sitting position.

‘’What is yours second name?’’

‘’I don’t have it.’’

‘’Are you kidding me? I’ve told you mine. Is something wrong with your second name?’’ Questioned the younger man, getting more and more interested.

‘’No, I really don’t have one. None of my siblings have a second name. I never asked about that, just assumed it’s a weird family tradition,’’ explained the Lord.

‘’I though you all high-class snobs are rather ones for many fancy names.’’

Michael pressed a kiss to Adam’s forehead.

‘’I think I can shock you with more facts like that. You’re sometimes terribly narrow-minded, you know? You shouldn’t look at the world with these stereotypes, darling.’’

‘’Look who’s saying.’’

‘’Hey, I’m trying here, brat.’’ The last word was said this softly as that it could have been taken for the pet name. ‘’I have already beaten my prejudices.’’

The blond sneered.

‘’Sure, keep repeating that to yourself.’’

The dignified Lord threw the pillow at him, but missed, as the other man ducked his head on time, resulting into another fit of the giggles and the start of the pillow fight.

After the initial elation slowly subsided and still head-over-heals Adam was ready to think more level-headedly, he decided to set things straight with Michael. He had been living a dream, not caring about the possible ramifications, ignoring servant’s curious or startled looks, which luckily were getting rarer with time, but his reasonable, skeptical part of personality took over. He caught Michael resting in the living room and sat down next to him.

‘’Mike, I’ve got a question about our relationship,’’ he blurted out without any kind of introduction.

‘’I thought that we’re fine?’’ Tried the startled nobleman, understandably caught by surprise by this sudden statement.

‘’Oh, we’re better than good,’’ assured Adam.

‘’That’s good,’’ replied puzzled Lord, hugging him tightly.

‘’Yes, Mike, it’s good, but there’s only one thing I don’t understand. Who exactly I am to you?’’

He had to know, he just had to. He started to be getting done with being caught in between, the honeymoon couldn’t last forever, he was so lost, unsure about his place in this world, with Michael as the only constant, as the one who provided safety and purpose.

Without the word the Lord moved to the desk and picked something out of the top drawer, came back to Adam and slowly kneeled down in front of his confused beyond recognition companion. 

‘’I hope my future husband,’’ replied Michael, presenting a the small, red, velvet box. Something in his mind screamed it was a final act of rebellion, something what Lucifer would do, but not he, he was always a good son, a good heir, a good nobleman, a good solider, always playing by the rules, but he quitted bothering with the properties too long ago to start caring again now. All they brought him was misery. He had spent more than on keeping up the appearances than on looking for his inner self. For the first time since he was a kid he was truly happy and wouldn’t trade a thing. Besides, he had that convenient fact on his side that he was powerful and influential enough to set the trends. To add more, he was connected to the boot. Didn’t the King himself told him he just wants his favorite relative to be happy? If Chuck was glad to be regularly shocking everybody without thinking about the consequences or maybe thinking about them and loving every minute of commotion, why Michael couldn’t just carry on with his life the way he wished? He didn’t wish to scandalize anyway, just to settle on with the beloved person.

‘’Michael?’’ Asked Adam hesitantly, the question in his eyes. ‘’What’s going on?’’

The nobleman took a deep breath.

‘’Adam, I’m the decent man. We’ve spent enough time in denial and I don’t want to waste a second more than we already did. I can’t have you just hanging without any promises. It wouldn’t be fair. Relationship is commitment and ready to commit myself to you. There’s only one option I can offer you, darling. Maybe it’s also about me, as I’m yearning to finally settle with you. I can’t stand with uncertainty any longer. I wish to see you be my side, as my rightfully wedded husband. I swear here and now to do my best to be the best husband you can ask for. Adam James Milligan, will you marry me?’’

Adam covered his mouth with one hand.

‘’Mike, Michael, I don’t know what to say,’’ he uttered, wide-eyed.

‘’Say yes,’’ proposed simply the Lord, his cheeks rosy, an unusual sign on his excitement painted on his face.

‘’I can’t,’’ replied the blond, even though he sent the longing look on the golden ring with sapphire with the corner of his eye.

Wait, what?

‘’Why?’’ Asked Michael automatically.

‘’You can’t be serious about this proposal. Stand up, please don’t kneel like that.’’

‘’I’m absolutely serious. I love you,’’ declared Michael, raising to the standing position, still clutching the golden piece of jewellery in his fingers. This definitely wasn’t the scenario he wished to take part in. Why the blond was looking at him with such a heart-broken expression? Did he say something wrong? 

‘’You can’t.’’ Adam choked back on tears. ‘’You can’t love me. You’re the Lord and I’m nobody. Even before I was a slave, I was a criminal. I’m no material to love. I should have never proposed this relationship in the first place.’’

Okay, so it was about it. He had assumed they had it covered, but apparently the wounds on blond’s psyche were too deep. A wave of directed at the younger’s man tormentor’s hit him, but he pushed it aside. He had to focus on Adam.

‘’I’m immensely happy you did. You’re a very lovable material, trust me,’’ he said evenly.

Weak-kneed former slave collapsed on the sofa.

‘’You can’t be serious, thinking about marriage. I mean, about marriage with me, not in the general. I’m an outcast, I’ll never fit in.’’

‘’I’m perfectly serious. You’re the only one I want, darling. You don’t need to fit in anywhere if you don’t want to.’’

‘’I’m going to ruin your life,’’ claimed the younger man obstinately.

‘’Ruin? Adam, my life was hollow and with you be my side I’ve started to live. You’re my light, sunshine.’’

‘’You’re taking a lot of risk here,’’ pointed out the ex-offender.

‘’Calculated risk. It’s worth it. My bigger concern is that I feel like I’m robbing the cradle,’’ confessed Michael.

‘’Robbing a cradle?’’ echoed Adam. ‘’Okay, I didn’t think about it this way. Hey, that’s not the problem for me, really. I’ve seen bigger age gaps.’’

‘’You said something else the other day,’’ reminded him the nobleman.

‘’Hey, Mike, I was just kidding. Don’t take it to yourself.’’

‘’You will marry me, than.’’

‘’No, I won’t. For your own good.’’

‘’You said you love me,’’ reminded him the Lord gently, despite the gulp forming in his own throat.

‘’Yes, and that’s why I can’t marry you.’’

‘’Adam, we’re already in the relationship. Maybe I’m old-fashioned or more aristocratic than I wish I was, but for me marriage is the next natural step.’’

‘’If I was of your standing, yes, of course, it would be, but look at me. I’m not the one to be a spouse of somebody so blue-blooded, like you. You know all this etiquette by heart, I just don’t feel it.’’

‘’Darling, it doesn’t matter, not to me. Besides, you’ll learn it with ease if it concern you. It only sounds so complicated.’’

‘’What will everybody say? You’ll be ashamed of me your whole life. I can’t do it to you.’’

‘’I would never be ashamed of you. You have my word for that. Say yes.’’ Michael basically pleaded.

‘’I can’t,’’ repeated Adam stubbornly, a single tear rolling down his cheek as the silent testament of his pain.

‘’What’s holding you?’’

‘’A lot.’’

‘’I should have predicted you will argue with me even now.’’

‘’It’s not funny, Michael,’’ cried out Adam. ‘’Now it’s all over.’’

‘’It is not, it’s just the beginning,’’ insisted the brunette.

‘’No, it’s not. Our relationship, it shouldn’t even happened in the first place.’’

‘’We have just established you love me. I love me, like no one ever before. I’m absolutely certain you’re the only one.’’

‘’You see? You’re so thoughtful, you deserve someone better,’’ almost whispered the former slave.

‘’No, darling, you’re the best. Please don’t tell me you changed your mind about who you call high-class snobs. Neither of them is good enough for me.’’

Adam smiled weakly.

‘’I will never be good enough for you. My whole life I would be just an ex-slave and the criminal who somehow managed to get hold of the noble Lord with some dirty tricks.’’

‘’Adam, darling, you must be have a rather low opinion on me. I’m not falling for tricks and I’ll make it widely known if necessary. Besides, I want more than good enough. I’m going for perfect are here you are, found too late, but I’m still immensely happy to have you here with me because you chose too, not because you’re forced to by some absurd ruling.’’

‘’If only it could be like that forever…’’ said the younger man quietly, looking through the window. ‘’We were so happy just yesterday, but it was the illusion. Mike, you can’t marry the commoner.’’

‘’I wouldn’t be the only Lord to do so.’’

‘’Now you’re just making this up.’’

‘’No, seriously. It happens sometimes.’’

‘’This discussion is futile. I just can’t marry you.’’

In the flash something in Michael’s head clicked. He might have realized what was the problem with Adam’s thinking. He might have found the way to get him to say yes.

‘’Are you worried about the possible ramifications for you?’’

‘’No,’’ exclaimed Adam fiercely. ‘’Of course not. How could I? You’re the best that happened to me in life. You’re the one to suffer because of me.’’

‘’No, I’m not,’’ assured the Lord strongly. ‘’I will suffer without you. Adam, please I would hate to pressure you into marriage but I equally hate for you to be saying no because you’re worried about me.’’

‘’I love you, I will always love you,’’ half-sobbed Adam. ‘’I just can’t stand the thought about you having troubles because of me.’’

‘’I can handle them and more. Adam, don’t you remember Eden? I managed to keep all the foes silent. Darling, we’ve got King and loads of nobles on our side, but even if not, I wouldn’t care. I was a good son for way too long, I’m done with it. Maybe being over thirty is too old for rebelling, but this is not rebellion. This is pursuing my dreams. You’ve thought me the happiness is something worth fighting for, you’ve shown me I can be more than a typical Lord, you’ve turned my entire world upside down.’’

The pregnant pause followed these words. For a few seconds, which seemed to Michael like eternity, there was no single sound to be heard, except of beating of his own heart. Finally, Adam stood up and slowly opened his mouth.

‘’Yes.’’

‘’Adam?’’ Asked the Lord expectedly, unsure if he had heard right.

‘’Yes, yes, yes. Do you hear me? Yes, I’ll marry you.’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s never too much of saying yes when it comes to this pairing. Never. I can’t believe Supernatural is really coming to the end. After all these years, after all these ups and downs, all the amazing characters and episodes…Back to the times when demons and angels seemed like the strong beings, Apocalypse was the great event and Chuck wasn’t the villain. At least we’ll see Adam and Michael one more time. I hope they’ll make it out alive, but who knows, with how the show has been going. The frustration of not being the one in charge there. At least in this story I can do what I want with my characters (as far as it’s fairly canonical of course). Anyway, we’re for the hell of the ride with finale of all finales coming. Knowing what we know right now about the free will and how it all ends will change the way we view Supernatural while rewatching. I think I’m getting sentimental.  
> Also, I reorganized the tags slightly. If there’s any tag you think should be added, let me know.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry, but I have bad news for you. I’m pressed for time recently but I’m doing my best to keep up with the schedule, but it’s not easy, especially that these chapters have become longer with time. Since nothing indicates I’ll have more free time and I don’t want to give you something rushed and sloppy, the posting rules will change. I’m sad as well. I thought I could make it, but I don’t. Please don’t be mad at me. I’ll be posting only once a week, on Sundays. I’m sorry, but that’s for the best. This is my last Thursday update. Next chapter on Sunday as always and then we’ll carry on with Sundays.

‘’I’ll marry you,’’ repeated Adam. ‘’If you’re ready and willing to suffer all the consequences. Don’t tell me later I didn’t warn you.’’

‘’I’m ready and willing, forever and ever,’’ declared Michael.

‘’I love you, I trust you. If you say it’s going to be all right, I believe you,’’ declared the blond, giving the Lord his hand, allowing him to put the ring on the index finger. Tears flashed again in his eyes, but this time these were those of joy.

‘’It’s beautiful. I can’t believe you acquired it just for me.’’

‘’Oh, Adam, I love to make you happy. You deserve all the happiness in the word. This is sapphire. It matches your eyes,’’ commented the nobleman, still holding Adam’s hand.

‘’Wow, Mike, that was really thoughtful. You’re a really sensitive guy somewhere inside, you know?’’

‘’Thank you. Adam, you don’t have an idea how terrified I was, when you were lying ill and the doctor told me you might not make it and I didn’t even tell before how much I love you. It’s a miracle you’re here, because otherwise I would be a really heart-broken Lord,’’ confessed Michael.

‘’Self-centered as always,’’ muttered the younger man, but the nobleman caught a small smile dancing at his lips. ‘’Were you really so worried?’’ Wanted to know the ex-slave.

‘’Immensely. I basically confessed to one of my servants that I love you.’’

‘’Who?’’ Demanded the moved blond.

‘’Charlie,’’ replied the Lord simply.

‘’I can’t believe she stayed silent so long. I’ll talk to her later. No, no later, now,’’ decided an outraged Adam, almost half-way to find the girl, but Michael called after him.

‘’Adam, wait. She probably didn’t want to interfere between us.’’

‘’I was so worried about your reaction and she could have alleviated it, but she did nothing,’’ complained the younger man.

‘’Did you tell her how you feel?’’

‘’Uhm, no,’’ admitted the former offender.

‘’Well, I guess this is the reason why she was silent.’’

‘’I still need to talk to her!’’

‘’Adam, you can talk to her later. Now it won’t change anything.’’

‘’Okay,’’ agreed the blond, giving his fiancé a trusting and thoughtful look. Michael took his hand and kissed it. ‘’Please don’t be harsh on her. You’re now her boss, after all.’’

‘’Am I?’’ Asked suddenly disconcerted Adam. ‘’Does it mean…? Oh, never it mind now, we can talk it over later. This is an irony, you telling me not to be harsh to servants.’’

‘’Hey, for the first thing, I’m not that heartless as you claim I am and for the second, you stood up to Zachariah, I never doubted your strong will and the impact you can have on people.’’

‘’Michael, what will exactly change now?’’ Asked the younger man thoughtfully.

The Lord hurried to explain.

‘’Between us, I don’t think much. By the way, do you want to take part in informing my family or shall I do it on my own?’’

‘’Be my guest, I wouldn’t know what to write anyway.’’

‘’Okay, this was fast, we’ve got this settled than. I’ll write to each one of them tonight.’’

‘’Mike, you’re stressing me again. I don’t want to know how they’ll react.’’

‘’Darling, I’ve been told to be most terrifying of them, so you don’t have anything to be stressed about. I’m sure Castiel would be delighted, even if probably surprised, Gabriel certainly wouldn’t mind and I’m not going to lie to you, Raphael is the rather conservative one, but she always respected my decisions, so don’t fret about her, and there comes Lucifer, a wild card, a wayward son and brother, the one with little to no respect to anything. Well, that is what you two have in common. I seriously don’t know what his reaction would be, but it doesn’t matter anyway.’’

‘’Don’t you love your brother?’’ Inquired Adam.

The sadness filled Michael’s eyes.

‘’I do, of course I do. This is why it hurt when we drifted apart. Let’s not talk about it, it’s supposed to be a happy day.’’

‘’Don’t do something only because you’re supposed to,’’ hummed the blond.

‘’You see? Rebel to the marrows. About other things that would change, these are all the kinds of legal rights you’ll gain as my spouse, I’ll tell you about them more closely later, okay? Next thing, you’ll be expected to sometimes show yourself with me or maybe on your own, but I doubt anytime soon and is this so much of me to ask you to participate in management of this estate? I promise I would still do the majority of work, but it would be profitable to have somebody else to look at all this.’’

‘’Profitable…Sure…Only you can use all these big words in the simple talk.’’

‘’Hey, you’ve got a fresh look. That’s all I mean.’’

‘’Of course, Mike. How could I say now? You’ve done so much for me and now I least I can repay you some part of it.’’

‘’Adam, for the thousandth time, it’s not about repaying.’’

‘’Okay, okay. The point is, yes, of course. How could I not help my dear fiancé?’’

The nobleman looked at him with hazy eyes.

‘’You’re sweet, sunshine.’’

‘’I’m anything but sweet, Mike,’’ huffed Adam.

‘’Yes, you are.’’

‘’No, I’m not.’’

‘’Yes, you are.’’

An outraged Adam started to look out for the cushion or something similar to throw at the grinning Lord, but with no avail, so he jumped at Michael with such a force he almost tackled him to the ground.

‘’That’s no way to treat your Lord,’’ protested the nobleman vehemently.

‘’You’re surprisingly easy to attack,’’ pointed out the blond. ‘’Maybe you aren’t so good in the art of defense at all. Maybe you weren’t telling me the truth about your martial achievements.’’

Lord Milton growled at him.

‘’Are you talking back, boy?’’

‘’All the time,’’ grinned unruffled Adam.

‘’I swear, I’ll hand you to Crowley to have him knock some sense into you,’’ threatened Michael.

‘’Who’s Crowley?’’

‘’The new overseer.’’

The young man grimaced.

‘’You’ve got the heart of steel. You’re the bad man. I should have never said yes to you.’’

‘’Now you’re breaking my heart, honey.’’

‘’We’re back on pet names now?’’ Asked Adam.

‘’Absolutely.’’ Michael took his hand again and kissed the knuckles. ‘’You won’t let me get bored with you, don’t you?’’

‘’Never,’’ claimed the former offender fiercely.

The Lord sat down on the sofa, pulling the other man into his lap.

‘’I came to Windom to find peace. I found love, but absolutely no peace.’’

Adam shifted to get more comfortable spot.

‘’We don’t always get what we ask for. Would be trade me for peace?’’

‘’Never,’’ assured the Lord passionately.

‘’I can’t believe I finally lived to see a day when I can say I’m yours and be proud of that,’’ confessed the former slave.

‘’Mine, darling. Always. And I’m yours,’’ said Michael affectionately.

Adam looked at him with so much devotion in his eyes it almost made him cry form happiness. He slowly took younger’s man hand and intertwined their fingers. They were sitting together in silence for the few minutes, until somebody knocked. The blond immediately stood up, startled, as if caught up doing something forbidden, adorably rosy blush on his cheeks. Michael quickly decided to talk about it later and let Adam know there was no reason to be ashamed, but in the same time he knew the other man probably simply needed more time to get comfortable with the new situation. He had enough of the difficult transitions in the relatively short time to feel overwhelmed or maybe lost. Obviously the engagement was a huge step and the great commitment, but apparently both of them needed it, as they liked to know where they stood. All in all, he had more urgent matters to attend right now. He called the knocking person to come in. The door opened to show somewhat nervous Pamela, informing him he had a guest waiting for him.

‘’A guest?’’ echoed Michael absent-mindedly. This felt like an unpleasant fall on the hard ground straight from the land of dreams. Than it came to him. He might have agreed to see Judge Osiris as the part of his usual duties as the Lord, even if he wasn’t exactly pleased about it, and had completely forgotten about it in the heat of the moment. In the way his engagement turned out to be a rather spontaneous event, even if he had planned it from the longer time, so something like the visit of the man he had recently lost the great part of the respect for had simply slipped his mind. He really should have forewarned Adam about it. Who knows how the blond mind react, getting surprised like that. Such a beautiful day spoiled by such an unpleasant visit.

‘’Adam, I’m so sorry. I have completely forgotten,’’ he apologized sincerely, getting the puzzled look in return.

‘’It’s okay,’’ said Adam, smiling lightly, which only made the nobleman’s heart squeeze in the painful way.

‘’Not, it’s not,’’ sighed Michael. ‘’I’m so sorry, Adam. It’s Osiris, right?’’ He asked for confirmation, turning to Pam, who was still standing in the doorway.

‘’Yes, My Lord,’’ she nodded dutifully. ‘’He’s waiting in the yellow study.’’

‘’Thank you, Pamela. I’ll join him shortly. You’re dismissed,’’ said the Lord and after she left, he promptly spoke to his fiancé.

‘’Adam, I’m sorry darling, but I need to go,’’ he said guiltily.

The startled other man nodded.

‘’I’ll go with you,’’ he quickly decided, determination in his voice, even if Mike caught the undertone of apprehensiveness. ‘’I want to see him.’’

The brunette looked at him with doubt.

‘’You don’t have to.’’

‘’I know I don’t have too, but I want to. This is what I said just a minute ago. Are you deaf or something?’’

Okay, so Adam was behaving like usual. Not a bad sign.

‘’Am I now forced to listen your insults for the rest of my life?’’ Asked Michael.

‘’If you keep behaving the way to provoke them, yes.’’

‘’My bad. Anyway, Adam, I know facing Osiris must be hard on you, even now. You don’t need to force yourself to go there and then relive all these traumatic events again.’’

The blond looked at him sadly.

‘’Michael, this is what I have to do. If I am to start anew, I must confront my own fears. Can I count on you?’’

‘’Always.’’

‘’Let’s go, than.’’

‘’Let’s go,’’ echoed Michael.

‘’May I talk to him first?’’

‘’Be my guest.’’

The former slave was first to enter the room. Osiris was already sitting at the table, looking unbelievably bored.

‘’Hello,’’ spoke the blond in steady voice.

The Judge turned his head to him in disbelief and stared at Adam as if he saw the ghost, the visitor from another dimension.

‘’How? Why?’’ He asked with unusual tinge of hesitance after regaining his voice. ‘’How dare you?’’ He bellowed, after the initial shock subsided, replaced by the outrage. ‘’How dare you even be here, disgracing this place with your presence? You should be long dead and buried. How is it even possible?’’

‘’I’m tougher than you thought, apparently,’’ replied Adam. Instead of fear, trepidation, regret or something akin to those he felt surprisingly normal. Not so long ago he would panic, left alone with this man in the confined space, but this was no longer a case. ‘’Yeah, I guess it must have been quite a shock, but I don’t know whether I should be pleased or upset by the fact you remember someone like me.’’

‘’Lord Michael…’’

‘’Michael knows everything,’’ cut him off the ex-offender sharply, the rapid wave of anger hitting him. ‘’I wanted him to know. He deserves to know. He actually cares about me, you know, while you had seen what you wanted to see.’’

‘’This is insolence and I definitely won’t be lectured by some low-class, law-breaking scum, an imposter who somehow managed to slip here, undoubtedly by your usual illegal means.’’

This was the moment Michael decided to step in. 

‘’I would suggest you being more respectful towards your new Lord,’’ he said in eerily calm tone.

‘’New Lord?’’ asked Adam and Osiris in unison, both of them equally shocked.

‘’Yes. Adam, didn’t I tell you that you that by marriage you acquire the title automatically?’’ Asked the nobleman casually.

‘’No, you didn’t,’’ replied the blond, blinking.

‘’Well, now I know at least you’re not marrying me for my title,’’ joked Michael. Adam sent him an offended glare in return, which the Lord decided conveniently to ignore.

‘’Anyway, Osiris, so that you know, I have proposed recently to this young man and he said yes. I would strongly suggest you not to antagonize your new Lord,’’ advised the brunette lightly. ‘’Listen to me when I say I strongly value his advice and I won’t take lightly him being treated in such a way. Besides, Adam soon will have legally all the means to make your life, let’s call it, less pleasant. I’m sorry to note that as far as I had a chance to observe today as well as during our previous encounter you’ve grown too self-satisfied and not really attentive to Windom’s inhabitants needs. I value justice a lot, but you gave me many reasons to believe you mistake it for harshness. Adam, do you wish to hear an apology for your unjust conviction from our guest?’’

‘’It wouldn’t be sincere anyway, so no.’’

‘’My Lord, I don’t know how it happened or what he told you, but I swear, my only goal is protecting this city and its citizens,’’ spoke up Osiris, not really able to comprehend what was going on. Being knocked out of his usual schemes wasn’t something he expected and definitely wasn’t something he enjoyed. There weren’t many things he loathed more than being taken by the surprise. Adam stood there, unmoved, like the alive and breathing embodiment of his failure.

‘’By all the means possible?’’ Inquired Michael.

‘’Yes,’’ replied the Judge, absolutely convinced that was the correct answer.

‘’That’s what concerns me the most,’’ replied the Lord, looking at him sternly. This wasn’t something Osiris had to deal often with, being on the wrong side of being berated.

‘’Michael, darling,’’ spoke up Adam, batting his eyelashes innocently. ‘’I think I have enough of this conversation. You told me earlier, this is supposed to be a happy day. I trust you will carry on with this conversation better than I ever would.’’

‘’Don’t underestimate yourself, sunshine,’’ replied the brunette gently, having the time of his life despite this straight-faced façade, noting with relief Adam didn’t seem traumatized.

‘’Nah, I’m not, I just don’t desire to spend more time here. Goodbye, Mister Judge and good luck, because something tells me what is about to come what be pleasant for you.’’

Without another word, the former slave left the room, leaving the speechless guest alone with Michael.

‘’My Lord, you don’t know what he had done,’’ said the Judge after the while of tense silence.

‘’I do,’’ replied the Lord matter-of-factly. ‘’You have shown me his file yourself a few months ago. He hadn’t even try to hide anything. However, I don’t deem my personal life to be your concern. Now, let’s talk about your job.’’

Adam was right. Osiris didn’t find the rest of this conversation enjoyable. There weren’t many people in the world who could have made the Judge feel uneasy, but Lord Milton was definitely one of them. Apparently, no matter how much he didn’t like it, Osiris had it suggested very clearly to rethink the way he looks at justice and he the way he adjudicated, while triumphant Michael came back to Adam to announce another victory, no matter how small, but hopefully turning with time to something big.

It didn’t take long for Adam and Michael to get into the argument about something trivial. Generally, they usually argued about something insignificant, as in the fundamental matters they were surprisingly compatible. Their rows and bickering about the small things often turned out in quite the commotion, as each of them defended their case with such a stubbornness as if they fought about something life-altering.

‘’I know better,’’ claimed obstinately the older man.

‘’Because you’re the Lord?’’ Teased him the ex-criminal.

‘’Yes!’’

‘’That was irony.’’

‘’I pretended not to hear it.’’

Michael walked to Adam and placed his hands on blond’s arms before giving him a soft kiss.

‘’I promise I will always listen to you and take your view into consideration.’’

‘’Seriously? Only into consideration? I’m your fiancé, I’m supposed to be your equal.’’

‘’Darling, there’s not partnership in this relationship. You do with me what you want.’’

Lucifer would have a time of his life if he only had been there, but luckily, he wasn’t there to witness how his decisive big brother just couldn’t say no to his fiancé.

‘’Do I? If so, it seems to like there’s an endless list of possibilities to discover and then see if there’re working,’’ commented Adam, broad grin on his face. The Lord rubbed his forehead, wondering for the unknown number of times what compelled him to get himself involved into his relationship.

‘’You’re insufferable,’’ he said and left the room, not in the mood to drag this senseless conversation further. When he came back, he had found his fiancé in the bedroom, lying shirtless on the bed, glancing at the brunette seductively, as if expecting him since the longer time.

‘’Do you want to teach me my place, Master?’’

What was left from Michael’s annoyance had vaporized in the blink.

‘’You certainly need it, boy,’’ he huffed, which didn’t sound as geniue as he wished to, as he fought with the mixture of laughter, excitement and appreciation for coming up with this scenario.

‘’Than, what are you waiting for?’’ Asked Adam, eyeing the nobleman expectedly.

‘’This is definitely the lesson you will remember, you defiant brat,’’ announced the Lord, coming closer.

‘’I hope so.’’

‘’I have let you get away with too many thing, but it’s nothing I can’t remedy now. Better late than never, I guess,’’ declared Michael, as the blond was undoubtedly way too enthusiastic about being personally taken in hand.

Not surprisingly they ended cuddling peacefully in bed, before falling asleep, the whole situation so serene, as if neither the initial misunderstanding nor the subsequent passionate reunion took place. The Lord fondly petted younger man’s hair in silence, before he started become sleepy himself. Sharing the bed with another person initially felt strange after the years of sleeping alone, but he wouldn’t trade it for the previous setting.

‘’You know,’’ whispered unexpectedly silent till this moment Adam when Michael was halfway to fall asleep. ‘’Back in the kitchen I didn’t understand why all these people were so excited about you. You are keeping them here against their will and they still simply adore you.’’

Lord’s eyes immediately sprung open.

‘’They’re talking about me? Like, good things?’’

The blond sneered.

‘’Are you deaf or something? They used to, anyway. No way I’m setting a foot in this place again. Not anytime soon, anyway. Too many bad memories. The thing is, I couldn’t fathom what was special about you.’’

‘’You see, now you’re here, with me, having fallen to my irresistible charm.’’

‘’If you want to put it this way…You’re _my_ Lord, indeed.’’

‘’And you’ll always be a cheeky brat, no matter of your standing.’’

‘’No, Mike. I was the cheeky brat before. Now, with my new standing I’m a sharp-witted young man.’’

‘’Clever,’’ yawned Michael. ‘’Goodnight, my sharp-witted young man. Enough of this small talk for tonight,’’ he said before closing his eyes and falling asleep, this time for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m happy for these two, you know? I hope you’re not bored with this fic (and the ridiculous amount of fluff) yet. Next chapter will be very family-oriented.


	33. Chapter 33

Winchester’s house was quiet and definitely too big. John found himself rather lonely. He had finished work early, his wife was on some kind of business trip, but even though he missed her dearly, her absence wasn’t the source of unusual calm in his household. This was rather the result of his two sons growing up and moving out. When boys were much younger, he often used to joke with Mary that silence and peace were rare commodity. The boys turned out grown men in the blink and after the very much-coveted time of blessed peace and silence, John discovered he missed this good-natured banter, always present under his roof back in the days. Sam and Dean’s sibling rivalry resulted in their house being always loud, forcing both him and Mary to act as the peacemakers. Nobody who would have witnessed these more or less fierce fights would never believe how much these two loved each other. Thankfully, both of them quitted that squabbles, being an adults. Weren’t they all a happy, big, extended family? A perfect family portrait. He was truly proud of that. He must have been a really good parent for his kids to be successful people in adult life.

John decided that instead of doing nothing and reminiscing the old times he might as well visit his elder son, or rather his wife, since Dean was probably working at his hour. Jo, though, was in the early stage of pregnancy and wasn’t feeling the best, temporarily staying at home until she got better. She hoped to get back to her work as soon as possible, but Dean managed to convince her to take a break for the baby’s sake for at least a few weeks. John thought about his first-born with fondness as Dean had always been such a great big brother, always know how to take care of kids, they longed to him naturally, he would with no doubt make a great dad, better than John had ever been. Not that the Winchester patriarch had something to be ashamed of. He loved his sons. He had done his best to support them and he still do. What he was doing now was obviously the best example. Both he and Mary had been overjoyed about their first grandchild. It was by far too early to know whether it was the boy or the girl, but they dreamt about a little girl after having only boys. John realized he must be getting soft in his old years, since he wanted a grandchild to spoil shamelessly, something he never did with his own sons. A little princess would be even easier to coddle than a potential grandson.

John Winchester was the good man and he hadn’t got any reason to think bad about himself. He loved his family, he cared about his family and generally family was the highest value for him. At least this would be what he would answer if anybody would ask. He firmly believed in it, after all. This is why we came to check on how his daughter-in-law was faring. Dean mentioned recently she was getting restless sitting at home. John understood her better than he would have liked. He couldn’t stay idle for too long as well.

He didn’t expect Jo to have another visitor, but judging by the loud, enthusiastic female voice which definitely didn’t belong to her, coming from the living room, she had company. John hesitated before coming further into the house, partially because he didn’t wish to interrupt, partially because he was curious what was the topic discussed so fervently.

‘’I’m actually happy for Lord Michael, you know? He seems so much better than ever before. When I had first met him, I didn’t even suspect he might fall for somebody so hard. He struck me as quite distant, pragmatic type, definitely not romantic anyway and here we go, surprise,’’ said that excited voice.

‘’This Adam struck me as the likeable kind of man, but I met him only once for a few minutes. Are you sure his intentions are pure?’’ Asked Jo a bit skeptically. ‘’I wouldn’t be surprised if he had an ulterior motive.’’

‘’Trust me, you should have seen them. Besides, I had a chance to get to know Adam long before he was even thinking about marriage. He would never just seduce the Lord to secure his position.’’

‘’Good for this guy, than. Still, I know Lord Michael seems like a walking perfection, but he seems also so emotionless, as you have just admitted a second ago. It’s hard for me to imagine the relationship with him.’’

‘’I assume Dean is completely different?’’

Jo laughed.

‘’Dean is the man of passion.’’

John decided to step in before he found out something about his son and his marriage he rather wouldn’t. These kids really grow too fast these ways. He walked into the room to see Jo with a red-haired woman, both of them sitting on the couch, eating some snacks.

‘’Hello, Jo. I knocked, but I don’t think you heard. I didn’t know you have a visitor. I can come back later,’’ he said, standing in the doorframe.

‘’Hi, Dad,’’ replied Jo. ‘’It’s a good time, no worries. Dad, this is Charlie, my friend.’’

After John gave Charlie his name and all the other necessary introductions took place, Jo explained to her father-in-law Charlie was telling her about Lord’s Michael recent engagement.

‘’The lucky guy is called Adam Milligan,’’ she said. ‘’Apparently the one without noble origins but with turbulent past. The one I met a couple of months ago. What a lucky coincidence.’’

‘’Indeed, lucky,’’ muttered somehow startled John. He definitely didn’t like the name ‘’Milligan’’ coming back to him after all this years, even if it must have been only a silly coincidence.

‘’Lord Michael wants to marry someone like this?’’ He asked.

‘’He’s awesome,’’ replied Charlie. ‘’Despite all his misfortunes, but they weren’t his fault. He just had tons of bad luck. One time he told me he lost his mum early and never knew his dad.’’

‘’Poor boy,’’ mused Jo sympathetically. ‘’He deserves some happiness more than the others. Cases like that make me believe there’s a justice in this world.’’

John definitely didn’t like the way this conversation was going.

‘’The Lord gets emotional in one case only, when it comes about his fiancé,’’ carried on the red-head. ‘’A few days ago he gathered all the staff, made that serious face he wears for the majority of the tme and told us to treat Adam with the highest respect and heed his orders as if were coming straight from him. Then he added he doesn’t want to hear any complaints.’’

‘’This doesn’t sound emotional,’’ commented Jo.

‘’No, but it shows that he cares,’’ argued Charlie.

‘’Does it? For me it sounds rational he wants his future spouse to be treated like this. Nothing strange in these circles,’’ pointed out Jo.

‘’If he didn’t love him, he would go into political marriage to gain something. Besides, Adam sometimes tells me something. About Lord Michael getting emotional, for instance. I know, sounds surreal.’’

‘’It looks like you two have a good rapport,’’ remarked John, even though every word hurt.

‘’I think so. I doubt he has many friends. Had it hard in life, but still turned out fine. Poor thing, must have been very lonely.’’

‘’How old is he?’’ Inquired further John.

Charlie shrugged.

‘’Twenty two? Three? Something like that I guess.’’

John hesitated whether he should inquire further, quickly doing Maths in his head. He absolutely didn’t like the result of these calculations. He had to think it over. It probably was nothing, but he needed to be sure whether he wanted to push it further. He decided to play it safe for the time being, but being subtle was never his strong suit.

‘’I’d be delighted to know more about this young man,’’ he smiled to Charlie. ‘’I wish I could find out more about him.’’

Didn’t sound bad, right? It was innocent question. His damned guilty conscience. Why did he got involved in this romance all these years ago? He loved Mary and Mary only.

‘’Oh those celebrities,’’ grinned the red-head. ‘’We’re definitely going to have an untraditional new Lord.’’

Early hour be damned, John really needed a drink.

In the Milton mansion, another blissful day passed. Adam was about to lay down next to Michael, ready for the cuddles, but the brunette sent him a shy smile instead.

‘’Adam, as I promised you the other day, I wrote to my family. I’ve got the last reply today, from Gabriel,’’ he announced.

‘’How did they react?’’ Asked immediately the former slave anxiously. The thought about his fiancé having troubles because of him, especially coming from his family was heartbreaking, particularly that he hadn’t got many reasons to assume Mike siblings wouldn’t be overjoyed about their eldest brother marrying an ex-offender. They might have accepted him as the freed slave, but not a spouse. He wasn’t convinced even Castiel who had shown him quite a lot of kindness and goodwill would be that open-minded.

‘’Let’s say we’re in for a family get-together,’’ started to explain the Lord. ‘’They all want to come here and meet you in person. Truth being told, I don’t remember when we all had seen each other all together. It must have been Gabriel’s wedding, I suppose.’’

‘’One would think you’d be excited to see them after all this time and you don’t really look happy,’’ noticed the blond.

‘’Adam, trust me or not, because you don’t have to as you’ll see it yourself, you definitely won’t get bored with all them here. They won’t even need you to argue about everything.’’

‘’Good. It was too peaceful recently.’’

‘’As you wish, dear. If commotion is what you desire, this is what you’re sure to get. This is something I can guarantee you.’’

‘’Mike, but seriously. Should I be afraid? What did they say? Will they ever accept me?’’

‘’They have to.’’

This wasn’t the most enthusiastic answer, but Adam didn’t expect anything better.

‘’Michael, the more ambiguous you are, the more worried I get.’’

‘’Well, I might have shocked them,’’ admitted the Lord. ‘’In their defense, I never gave them any reason to believe I’ll marry, well, someone like you. No offence, Adam.’’

‘’None taken, Mike. I understand why they reacted like that,’’ replied the younger man with surprising acceptance in his voice.

‘’At least that,’’ sighed the Lord with relief. ‘’You’re really amazing, darling.’’

Adam didn’t choose to comment that, resorting to another topic instead.

‘’You rarely speak about your family. Tell me finally something. You’ve mentioned your siblings a couple of times, but never anything detailed.’’

‘’About my family, you’ve met already Castiel and Anna. About the rest, you’ll see it soon. I have a ridiculous amount of cousins and other relatives, but what matters now are siblings only. Be prepared Gabriel may pick on you, but don’t worry, it’s nothing personal. This is just the way he is. In his reply letter he didn’t write anything detailed, except his words of disbelief and that he can’t wait to meet you in person. Besides, he mentioned he’s surprised you didn’t run away from me already. Are you planning doing that?’’

‘’Never.’’

‘’Good. Poor Gabriel, he must be really shocked. I’m pretty sure I never surprised him like this in his whole life. He must have thought about me as the predictable one. I’m actually glad I managed to shake him up a bit. Now he needs to rewind this viewpoint,’’ said Michael with a tinge of satisfaction. ‘’Raphael is Gabriel’s polar opposite. As I unfortunately expected, she isn’t exactly overjoyed. Her letter was rather short and formal. I decided not to hide anything and I informed her about your backstory. Trust me, it’s better she knows it before. She likes to have a plan and doesn’t appreciate being taken by the surprise. She didn’t use many strong words, but she made her displeasure and disbelief known. I think she’s worried about me, but don’t fret about it, Adam. We’ll get other this, together,’’ he assured.

‘’I won’t say I’m glad to hear that, but this is exactly the kind of reaction I predicted. Or no, in fact I expected worse. What about Lucifer?’’

‘’Surprised and I would say skeptical as well. I think he doesn’t believe me or at least doesn’t know what to make out of it. After all these times I berated him about improper behavior… Truth being told, Gabriel’s and Raphael’s reaction were foreseeable to some extent, especially Raphael’s. Castiel, not much to tell here, supportive as before, slightly startled, yes, he surely didn’t expect us to get this close, but in the end of the day pleased with our relationship. But Lucifer, I seriously couldn’t tell what he would do. You know, it’s like I almost didn’t knew him anymore. Once upon a time we were so close, like, well, brothers. It seems like a lifetime ago. Now I don’t know what’s going on in his head. Enough to say we didn’t talk a lot recently. When we did, it turned into the endless list of mutual accusations, shouting and fights, so we eventually stopped. I don’t know if there’s still a brother I once had somewhere inside him anymore. The point is, I logically knew he doesn’t have any reason to be supportive and brotherly, but some part of me still expected him to appreciate this act of my little rebellion.’’

Adam came straight to the point.

‘’What exactly did he do?’’

‘’He had always been a piece of work, even as the kid. Back than it was great, he was the perfect companion to play. We were practically inseparable. However, he gradually was turning into unruly teen, rebellious of absent father….Rebellious of all the authorities…I didn’t understand him. Now I think this might have been his way of coping with what he saw as abandonment…I don’t know. We stated to fall apart, we had different priorities. The more of the good son I became, the more he rebelled.’’

‘’Maybe being so good was your way of impressing an absent father,’’ suggested the blond.

‘’Yeah, maybe. Maybe this was the way I wanted to get his attention. Maybe I just felt responsible for Raphael and brothers. It doesn’t matter anymore. Anyway, Lucifer did everything to break all the rules he could have thought about. The more I tried to steer him into the right direction, the more he just didn’t listen. He had like a terrible number of romances, but this could have been passable.’’

‘’Really? You nobles are strange.’’

‘’Welcome to the family. Anyway, there was only one which counted. Her name was Lilith. Anyway, he did worse things. He insulted an ambassador, almost causing the diplomatic incident, he never got along with anybody, being loud and brash and completely tactless, he just liked to provoke and shock with the things he said and did, he made himself a few enemies, he waged a war on one of the neighboring Lords, yes, there were casualties, he generally spent way too much time with criminal types and this isn’t all of what he have done.’’

‘’Hey, about mixing with criminal element, now you do the same,’’ chimed in Adam.

‘’You’re nothing like them, darling. They were truly bad people. All in all, Luce did crazy things and as the result our relationship is strained.’’

‘’You still love him.’’

‘’Of course I do. He’s my brother, despite all the pain he caused me…We caused each other. I still insist he had the lion share of the responsibility here.’’

‘’Sometimes I wondered how it would be, to have a brother or a sister. Having such a bunch, this is something I can barely comprehend,’’ confessed Adam.

‘’Not that you aren’t amazing all by yourself, but didn’t your Mum want another kid?’’ Inquired Michael, relieved of the partial shift of the subject.

‘’I don’t know. Even if, she never said so. Besides, she barely could take care of me, she had very little time even for one child, not even talking about money. Still, she managed to be the best parent ever. Maybe if she got married everything would be different, but she never did. I don’t think she was interested in marriage anyway. You know, when you’re a kid, you take the world as it is.’’

‘’Children often ask questions,’’ pointed out the Lord.

‘’Yes, but not questions like that,’’ countered the younger man.

’’Maybe. How should I know? I wasn’t an average kid, after all.’’

‘’Of course. You were special. Groomed to be like that since birth.’’

‘’Stop laughing Adam, it’s not funny,’’ winced Michael.

The blond placated him with a small peck.

‘’Okay, okay. You were already born special.’’

‘’I can’t imagine how your childhood looked like, all by yourself. In my house there always had a crowd, loads of guests and servants and of course all five of us.’’

‘’Your parents didn’t have to deal with you all by yourself. This makes a huge difference.’’

‘’Sure it does. When I was ten or eleven and Cas was about two, Mum got pregnant again. I don’t think they planned it, it probably just happened. They were both happy, but also exhausted, especially Mum, since Father was less involved in rising us. There were days he was rarely at home. Anyway, Mum’s body couldn’t take it anymore. Even with all nannies and servants she barely kept in with five of us. Her health was slowly becoming more and more ruined by all these pregnancies and births. When she was pretty far along, five months or something, her waters broke and she started to give birth prematurely. There was no doctor, not even a midwife to help her when something went horribly awry and she bled away. At least that was what I was told later. Anyway, she didn’t survive and neither did the child. It was a girl. I don’t even know how they planned to name her. They must have had some plans after all, but for some reason I never asked. It hurt too much to come back to this.’’

‘’You lost both your Mum and sister that day,’’ said Adam with sympathy. ‘’We’ve both lost our Mums too early.’’

‘’I don’t think there’s ever a good time for losing a parent.’’

“Yes, right. Still, it must have been a shock.’’

‘’Of course it was. I have never told this to anyone before, even if it’s a common knowledge. It was too hard to come back to this.’’

‘’I’m sorry.’’

‘’Don’t be. One thing I’ve learnt, we can’t change the past, only make the best use we can from the time we got left.’’

‘’This is still terribly sad, especially happening so suddenly. At least I know Mum was dying.’’

‘’Does it made it any easier?’’

‘’I don’t know. I was so terrified and as it turned out later, rightfully so.’’

‘’I had my Dad and loads of siblings. I still missed her greatly, but I wasn’t alone with my grief.’’

‘’For what you’ve mentioned before, he doesn’t strike me as the most devoted parent.’’

‘’He loved us in the way. He just assumed we’ll manage or maybe just didn’t know how to talk to us. I’m sure he was suffering too,’’ replied Michael drily.

‘’I’m not saying that he wasn’t,’’ muttered Adam defensively.

‘’Well, I must have messed up something up, with my siblings growing up the way they did,’’ sighed the Lord heavily. His fiancé hugged him reassuringly.

‘’Michael, don’t blame yourself. I’m sure you did what you could, more than many people would do in your situation.’’

‘’That’s sweet, Ads, comforting me like that.’’

Adam hummed in appreciation.

‘’More people would like you if you were like that more often.’’

‘’Don’t push it. I don’t open up just to anybody,’’ said the Lord seriously.

‘’Good thing I’m not just anybody, than,’’ smiled the blond.

‘’You never were,’’ replied the nobleman, rubbing the other man’s hand.

The silence lasted for a few minutes until Michael spoke up again.

‘’Why are we talking till late again instead of sleeping?’’

‘’I like our nightly talks.’’

‘’Me too, but now it’s time to sleep.’’

‘’Okay. Goodnight.’’

‘’Goodnight.’’

‘’I love you,’’ whispered the Lord affectionately after another beat of silence.

Adam didn’t answer verbally, but snuggled closer into his chest.

The following morning he woke up early, after the warm sunlight tickled his nose, making him open his eyes. Mike was still sound asleep, eyes closed, dark strands disheveled, head resting on the pillow, looking astonishingly peaceful and beautiful. Adam smiled to himself. The best was yet to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. You wanted to see Michael’s family in person already. I’m taking things slow here. All in good time (sooner than later, don’t worry).


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last episode was so wrong on so many levels I can’t believe it. I’m just trying to forget about what happened.   
> There are these two tags telling us that John Winchester is an asshole and a hypocrite. I think you partially know why already, but today you’ll find out more. Also, Adam may be free, safe and in happy relationship, but this doesn’t mean his life is completely problem-free.

Adam. His son. Stop. He didn’t know that yet. Adam might be just some stranger sharing the name with Kate. Coincides happen more often than one can suspect. He had better just forget about the whole thing and go back to his life. However, something stopped him from doing so. Maybe it was sheer curiosity, maybe something else, but he couldn’t push it out of his head.

He didn’t know what he would tell the boy supposing the meeting took place. It seemed obvious Adam would ask why he hadn’t meet his potential father until now. This wasn’t the topic he wished to discuss, for understandable reasons. He would tell him that he just couldn’t have been the part of his life till now. He had cut all his ties with Kate. His conscience was clean. She took the risk of sleeping with him. He informed her he had a wife, two kids and other responsibilities. He was honest with her from the start. It wasn’t his fault she started to expect something more from him. He forewarned her it would never happen, so he wasn’t the one to blame. She was a passing adventure, he never wanted another child. With Mary, maybe, if she insisted. He wouldn’t be overjoyed, but he was sure he would eventually learn to love a little human. Maybe if Sam and Dean weren’t so handful…One way or another, if the child was Mary’s, he would raise it the best he could, but nobody could accuse him of not considering Kate’s child his own, at least until now.

He wasn’t proud of his infidelity, but it was the moment of weakness and he had never cheated on Mary again after this one time. Maybe it was connected with the fact pregnancy was serious enough for him to get afraid of the inevitable consequences and back down. He was lucky Kate never tried to contact him again. Him, or worse, Mary. He would have of course deny all the accusations, but he was glad it didn’t have to.

In normal circumstances he would have never even think about reconnecting with his potential child, but the situation changed significantly. Now having a son who had lucked out like that in life, one having money and more importantly, influence, this was something he could have only dreamt about before. Checking the theory about the fatherhood was worth the shot. Mary didn’t need to know for now. There was no use involving her and disturb her peace of mind until he had certainty. This Adam Jo and her ginger friend were talking about must have been his child. It wouldn’t be a surprise for his offspring to be so successful in life. This kid had half of his genes, after all. He would certainly be overjoyed to find his second parent after all these years. He surely wouldn’t protest if John suggested him to whisper Lord Michael a word or two, securing Winchester family’s position. Sam and Dean could really use some kind of patronage, especially the one coming from somebody so powerful as the Lord. He would do it, for his father, for his brothers. Every decent person would. Kate must have had raised her son right and right in this situation was respecting the father unconditionally. With such a detailed planned already and almost no evidence, John almost managed to convince himself Adam was his son and there was no other way.

***

Adam, blissfully unaware that his own peace would soon be abruptly disturbed, was talking with Michael about the upcoming visits.

‘’Well, Mike, why do I think you’re stressed more than you would like to show it?’’ He inquired teasingly, but undertones of concern in his voice.

The Lord winced.

‘’I’m fine, Adam. I miss them, seriously, the part of me can’t wait to see them again, as it’s been a while since our last time, but I know how it might end, how it did end in the past and this doesn’t bode well for the future.’’

The younger man shrugged.

‘’Let the bygones be bygones.’’

‘’If only it was so easy…Do you want to read those letters?’’ Asked the nobleman, trying to distract the fiancé.

‘’Nah, I trust you to have told me everything yesterday. I know I’ve riled them up, even if they didn’t even see me. Nothing new,’’ said Adam nonchalantly.

‘’Adam, it’s not like that,’’ tried again exasperated Michael, but he didn’t truly believe it himself.

‘’Drop it. There’s a thing. I’ve been thinking about what you’ve told me yesterday night and before. Michael, I think you’ve got problems, which origins are deeply rooted in your childhood and formative years.’’

The Lord frowned again.

‘’Looks who’s talking.’’

‘’Denial is a common reaction,’’ continues undeterred ex-criminal. ‘’If you want to heal, you have to acknowledge their existence.’’

‘’Existence of my deeply rooted problems?’’

‘’Yes.’’

‘’Are you playing psychologist at me, Adam?’’

‘’We’ve been talking about my traumas over and over. Now let’s talk about you.’’

Michael leaned to kiss him.

‘’Not happening. Go harass someone else. I’ve had it much better than you, darling, so don’t worry about me. You can analyze Lucifer when he arrives.’’

‘’Seriously?’’ Adam was ready to leap at the chance, suddenly looking so enthusiastic what it almost made the Lord laugh.

‘’No! Of course not. It’s not worth provoking it. Choose your battles,’’ he replied instead.

‘’Battles, hmm? Now I know why your mutual relationship is so strained. Did you even try to have a honest conversation with Lucifer, like, recently?’’

Michael sighed. Adam wasn’t going to give up easily, but wasn’t it why he had fallen for him in the first place? That soul of the fighter, refusal to give up?

‘’I’m not sure it’s still possible for us to talk like that. Our endeavors of coming to an agreement quickly transformed into another fight almost every single time. Since his engagement, we’ve got a tentative truce,’’ he explained.

‘’Maybe somewhere deep down you assumed you’ve crossed that line behind which agreement isn’t possible anymore.’’

‘’Maybe this is what just happened. This is Lucifer, I don’t know if I want to find out what’s going on in his head,’’ admitted the nobleman.

‘’Michael, you can’t be that terrible on communication. Put more effort in talking to people.’’

‘’Communication was never my strong suit and I’m well aware of it,’’ stated the Lord defensively.

‘’You talked to me and listened. You were there for me all the time you didn’t have to.’’

‘’It’s not so easy with him, you know?’’

Michael hated admitting to weakness, but it was only to Adam. It was different.

‘’He’s your brother,’’ pointed out the blond matter-of-factly.

‘’This is what makes it so difficult.’’

‘’Was it easier with me because I was the slave?’’ Inquired Adam relentlessly.

‘’It was easier because you were a stranger. I didn’t have this, how it is called professionally?’’

‘’Emotional baggage?’’

‘’Probably. Adam, you’re the smart one in this department, after all. Let me tell you, you weren’t exactly easy to understand in the beginning too.’’

‘’Am I now?’’

‘’Not sure if easy, but undoubtedly easier.’’

‘’Okay,’’ hummed Adam, deciding he can let the other man off in this department. ‘’Funny thing, with family it should have been easier,’’ he commented.

‘’Probably yes, but it always backfires.’’

‘’It makes me almost glad I don’t have one.’’

‘’Well, you’ll have it soon, so you won’t get out of this so easily. Talking about it, I have received one more letter. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I have forgotten to inform her, but luckily Castiel let her know about our engagement. She congratulates us for finally realizing our mutual feelings and getting together. She wrote she barely could stop herself from telling us to get ourselves together back in Eden, but she knew we need to get to this point on our own.’’

It was Adam’s turn to frown.

‘’It looks like everybody knew before we did. That’s embarrassing, Mike. How could we be so blind?’’

‘’In our defense, we were busy with something else. Let’s go now, I’ve got someone to introduce to you.’’

‘’Who?’’

‘’Crowley. The new overseer, remember?’’

Adam nodded slowly, but a shadow of uneasiness must have flickered though his face, compelling Michael to explain things further.

‘’You’re going to run into one another sooner or later,’’ he added in a tone of justification, rare in his mouth.

‘’I know,’’ muttered the blond. ‘’Doesn’t make me any happier about the whole thing.’’

The Lord studied him for a few seconds.

‘’Maybe another time?’’ He spoke up hesitantly.

‘’Let’s go now, Michael. I’m not that fragile, it’s not that I’m going to break or something. You don’t need to treat me like the porcelain doll,’’ snorted the younger man, getting his self-assurance back after the brief lapse in confidence. ‘’Please quit these attempts to shield me from the whole world.’’

‘’You’re pretty like the doll,’’ remarked the Lord, reminding himself he should stop himself from being so overprotective.

‘’Michael!’’ Adam shot him an offended glare. ‘’Don’t. Just don’t.’’ He added in dead voice.

‘’The ball of righteous fury, I see. May I say you’re the toughest guy I’ve ever met and appearance can be deceptive?’’ Inquired the nobleman placatingly.

‘’Fair enough,’’ agreed the former slave. ‘’Lead the way.’’

All in all, it didn’t turn out as bad. Even though he couldn’t call Crowley the good person (what kind of the good person would choose to work like that?), the man definitely struck him as an improvement comparing to his predecessor. He was more of the business type guy, who knew how to be effective and organize everything to run smoothly, using all the means available to achieve the goal, but wasn’t a bloodthirsty, sadistic monster, who just raveled in other’s suffering just for the sake of it. He could have imagined Crowley viewing his job as every other one and coming back home only to slip into the personality of loving father and husband. Adam didn’t know whether the overseer had wife and children, but it didn’t matter.

***

Michael got woken up by some shuffling. He slowly opened his eyes only to discover it was still dark, with even the moon veiled by the mist of the clouds. Adam, though, instead of sleeping soundly by this hour, was sitting on the edge of the bed, resembling a marble figure. Michael immediately sat up as well, determined to establish what was happening.

‘’Why aren’t you asleep? It’s the middle of the night,’’ he yawned, still half-asleep.

‘’I can’t,’’ muttered Adam. ‘’Not with your family coming here in a days.’’

‘’They are not that bad, Ads. I’m not going to lie to you that’s going to be stress-free, but don’t fret over it, because no matter what they say or do, that can’t change how much I love and adore. Come to bed,’’ prompted him the Lord, getting fully awake.

‘’I’m not sleepy.’’

‘’Who said anything about sleep?’’ asked the nobleman amorously, deciding that if they were already awake there was no harm in having some fun, but his fiancé was too worried to catch up the suggestion.

‘’We really need to curtail these night talks,’’ he sighed. ‘’When things were about me, it was much easier, but it’s about you.’’

‘’If they won’t accept you, then it’s their problem,’’ replied matter-of-factly Michael. ‘’Come back here,’’ he asked, lifting the comforter, but Adam had just gotten his mischievous streak back. He jumped at the floor and hid himself under the blanket lying somewhere in the reach and positioned himself on the carpet.

‘’Adam, get out of this blanket,’’ demanded the Lord.

‘’Try to get me,’’ the blond’s muffled voice declared.

‘’Adam, for crying out loud…Quit this this instant.’’

‘’Go get me, than,’’ replied the ex-criminal cheekily.’’ Not really wishing to prolog the inevitable, Michael just climbed out of the bed, picked him up and laid back on the mattress.

‘’Sleep,’’ he ordered. ‘’The refusal won’t be tolerated.’’

Adam, thankfully, didn’t argue with him on this one. Michael tenderly run his palm against his arm and came back to sleep as well. How come this boy, so fearless in the face of much harder difficulties became so careful and mindful when what considered the Lord’s happiness was on the line? In the way he was right, no matter how many times the nobleman denied it aloud and tried to convince himself it wasn’t like that. He never stopped loving his wayward family, never stopped caring about every single one of them. The way Adam expressed his own concerns about him, even though it was a bit on the unusual side, it was touching. This must have been love, no other way. In the way, it was the most comforting thing he had experienced in years.

***

After being basically self-dependent his whole life, being constantly serviced was an odd change. Back in his childhood years, Mum used to tell Adam bedtime stories about rich people hiring a person to help them around the household, but the boy quickly dismissed them as the fairytales. His childish mind considered them equally impossible to happen in real life as the imaginary appearances of witches, elves and brave knights. The last one turned out to be true, as Adam many years later found himself to be living with the one as the result of the series of strange occurrences. Not all of them were coveted and planned, many times on this rocky road the young man asked himself what had he done to be forced to deal with all these hardships of fate, the moments when losing faith seemed the only reasonable option, but looking back to where they brought him, he just focused on the present and let all the bad memories go. Despite his insecurities and lack of experience, he considered himself to be accommodation rather smoothly. For some reason, though, having the staff to order round was one of the aspects of his new life he couldn’t fully fathom. The simple fact Michael have been doing so, almost automatically, in the natural way, he took as something obvious, but he simply didn’t know how to behave around this people, especially that there were so many of them. In this place, there wasn’t one person to tend his needs, oh no. Adam had that uncomfortable realization rich people needed different servant of every single aspect of life. To make matters worse, even though nobody touched this topic, he wasn’t delusional enough that servants didn’t know who he was. The former slave, which equated in him being actively engaged into breaking the law. Not the best material for the Lord, that for sure, especially that initially he was way below them in the official hierarchy, even though Michael’s treatment of him might have altered the way they looked at him even before he was officially freed. This all was why he found himself almost shell-shocked after realizing they actually seemed to like him. It was more to this than just official manners and emotionless politeness. Paradoxically, his humble origins made him more likable, while Michael had the innate predisposition to keep others at the distance. The nobleman had caught this differences as well, confirming fiancés observations.

‘’You know, I think our staff likes you more than they ever liked me,’’ he commented one morning, rested his arms loosely around Adam's waist, who narrowed his eyes playfully as the reply.

‘’Is my favorite Lord jealous?’’ He asked teasingly, in mock-surprised tone.

The brunette’s lips brushed against his collarbone.

‘’About you? Always,’’ he answered dead-seriously.

‘’The staff thinks you’re really cold-hearted.’’

‘’You managed to melt the good part of this ice, sunshine,’’ answered Michael affectionately.

‘’So you’re not denying it?’’

The Lord run his hand through fiancé’s hair.

‘’Should I? You love my dignified style.’’

‘’Close enough. I love how these walls tumble down in front of me.’’

‘’I’m not growing soft,’’ snapped Michael.

‘’Nah, of course not,’’ muttered Adam sarcastically.

They were within an ace of getting into another pointless banter, when a servant came with a urgent news. Lord Lucifer was about to arrive in a matter of minutes. Adam quickly got hold of his disheveled appearance, while the Lord just frowned deeply, waiting for him, clearly wary of the situation.

‘’Try not to get into the fight immediately,’’ said the ex-slave softly, considering this shift of roles another strange thing, maybe the most unusual that happened to him since he first met his future husband.

‘’Thanks for having such a faith in me,’’ growled the nobleman. ‘’Ready?’’ He asked, but didn’t wait for the reply, quickly prompting the fiancé to go with a motion of hand.

Luckily, Adam, who had already spent quite a few hours worrying about this visit, was ready to face it without much apprehension. The curiosity took over, as no amount of the stories could have prepared him for meeting this famed Lucifer in person. Besides, he almost started to view it as the unusual kind of adventure, as his life became too peaceful lately.

The cool wind was blowing mercilessly, almost making him shiver, as he was waiting in the yard. Michael was just standing next to him wordlessly, probably lost in his own thoughts.

‘’It’ll be all right,’’ whispered the younger man.

‘’I should be the one reassuring you,’’ answered the nobleman in equally hushed voice, maintain his formal pose, his eyes fixed on one point on the horizon.

‘’The circumstances changed,’’ replied Adam, not moving for an inch as well.

The Lord didn’t answer, either because he had nothing more to say or because the carriages had just started arriving into the yard.

When the doors of one of them opened and the blonde, tall man stepped out of it, Michael tensed a bit. The ex-slave felt the palm briefly brushing his own, in the subtle but meaningful gesture, before the Lord took a few steps ahead. He followed automatically. In the meantime, the tall blonde man, presumably Lucifer, helped the woman royal blue pleated dress, carrying a chubby toddler, blond as both of his parents, to get out. Michael actually smiled broadly at this sight.

‘’Jack, Kelly, Lucifer,’’ he said happily, his eyes shining.

‘’This order says a lot, brother,’’ spoke up the man, now confirmed Lucifer.

‘’Lucifer, please, I asked you to be civil,’’ said the woman.

‘’Hello, Kelly,’’ greeted her Michael gleefully. ‘’It’s always pleasure to see you.’’

‘’Same here, Michael,’’ she exclaimed. Jack started peeking round with interest, mysteriously silent for the kid his age. ‘’Jack, darling, this is Uncle Mike and this, I presume Uncle Adam,’’ she said softly, standing a boy carefully on the ground. ‘’Give Jack a minute,’’ he asked, raising her eyes on her brother-in-law and his fiancé.

‘’Obviously,’’ agreed Michael, while his brother rolled his eyes. ‘’You anticipated me with introducing Adam. I guess I still have a formal introduction in front of me. Lucifer, Kelly, this is Adam Milligan, my fiancé.’’

Adam quickly came to the conclusion while Lucifer was shaking his hand, that the way the nobleman was looking at him was more inquisitive than judgmental. This actually, didn’t bode badly for the future. It wouldn’t be a surprise that one of the perks of being an outcast was having a bigger tolerance for other misfits. The biggest shock, however, was the way Jack attempted to get hold of his calf.

‘’Let’s go inside,’’ proposed Michael. ‘’My people will take care of yours. We’ve got a lot to catch up.’’

‘’Jack?’’ Adam asked hesitantly, smiling gently at the toddler. ‘’You’re lovely kid, but you’re making walking difficult.’’

‘’This kid is too trusting for his own good,’’ sighed Luce, but at the glaring looks of Michael and Kelly, he raised his hands in the gesture of surrender. ‘’It’s nothing personal, he’s just like that.’’

The elder brother restrained himself from commenting. Kelly picked her son from the ground again, smiling apologetically at Adam.

‘’Sorry for him harassing you. As Luce said, he’s social. Once he feels more comfortable, he would talk.’’

Adam really started to like her. She wasn’t like the Ladies he met before and he definitely imagined Lucifer’s wife the other way. Maybe she just pretended, but he really wished for her to accept him, even if for Mike’s sake.

‘’He’s not harassing me, don’t worry,’’ he hurried to explain. ‘’Michael told me Jack is awesome,’’ he added, as they crossed the threshold.

She instantly got interested.

‘’Michael actually used the word ,,awesome’’?’’

‘’Not really, but that was the point.’’

Lucifer shot a quizzical look a Michael, but the latter didn’t comment, so he headed for another tactic to get a reaction out of him.

‘’Why do I feel you like my family more than you like me?’’

‘’Maybe I do,’’ answered his brother drily.

‘’Gentleman, why don’t you have a chat on your own while I’ll talk to Adam?’’ Proposed Kelly. ‘’It looks like you need it.’’

Adam bit his lips not to giggle. It was exactly what just crossed his mind. He just dared to hope it wouldn’t end in the blazing row.

‘’I can’t wait to talk to you, big bro,’’ grinned Lucifer cheekily. Something flashed in Michael’s eyes, but his fiancé couldn’t tell whether this was challenge, apprehension or something else.

‘’If this fine for Adam, let’s do it,’’ Michael stated neutrally.

‘’Fine for me,’’ agreed the ex-criminal quickly.

Jack wailed impatiently, catching the atmosphere tensed without any warning. Kelly sighed heavily. ‘’Somebody send Donna here, she shall have all his things. Travelling with a child, this is never easy.’’

‘’I’m still immensely happy you decided to do it, as I couldn’t wait to see my favorite nephew,’’ declared Michael. ‘’Lucifer, if you want to talk, let’s talk.’’


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not trying to be cliche, but it's still hard to believe Supernatural series is over. Thankfully, we've got a lot of episodes to rewatch and I hope fandom isn't going anywhere.

Adam was sitting in the armchair, high-strung despite the comfortable padding, unsure how to start the conversation. He didn’t expect to be separated from Michael so soon and without previous warning. He realized how much his small talk skills were lacking, but luckily Kelly rescued him from this oppression. Jack was sitting on the carpet, gnawing one of his plush toys relentlessly, so she sat down next to him and gently took it out of his mouth.

‘’Do you have something about him staying with us?’’ She asked. Adam blinked, startled by this unusual question.

‘’Of course not,’’ he answered with more vehemence in his voice than he expected, moving down to sit next to the guests. ‘’Why are you asking?’’

‘’There are many people who oppose to the presence of the child among adults,’’ she explained softly.

‘’Definitely not me.’’

Jack, who was fed and apparently happy, had just received the bag of his favorite toys and didn’t show any indication to suddenly start crying. The only thing Adam wished to avoid was the suspicion he made this little, charming boy scared or uncomfortable. He could have imagined Kelly grabbing a child, running to Lucifer and Michael only to accuse the ex-offender of being guilty of some harmful action towards her sweetie. Upsetting a child must have been labelled as the great crime, especially if the said child was Michael’s heir. Kelly didn’t struck him as the vindictive type of person, but she definitely acted like the devoted mother, so he rather didn’t mess up with her. Besides, Jack seemed just so easy to be loved and cooed over, so it wasn’t even an effort to let him stay. Rather the opposite, his mere presence here was like the ray of sunshine. No wonder Michael adored this kid so much, it was nearly unimaginable not to.

‘’How old is he exactly?’’ asked Adam.

‘’He’ll be two in the few months,’’ replied Kelly.

‘’Two,’’ giggled Jack.

‘’Yes, two, love,’’ repeated his mum.

‘’So he won’t give us away, right?’’ Adam attempted to joke.

‘’I think so, Adam. Are we planning conspiracy?’’

‘’You tell me.’’

‘’Tell,’’ repeated Jack. ‘’Tell me,’’ he echoed one more time, his eyes fixed firmly on his newest uncle.

‘’Okay, so it makes three of us,’’ hummed Adam.

‘’Three,’’ yelled the toddler happily.

Kelly shone on.

‘’He likes you. Say ‘’Uncle Adam,’’ Jack.’’

‘’Aaa-daam. Like you,’’ announced the toddler.

‘’This is the most coherent confession you’d get from him,’’ commented his mum. ‘’He still has problems with saying more difficult words, like ‘’uncle’’.’’

‘’I’m honored,’’ replied the man earnestly. ‘’I didn’t expect to be promoted to uncle so soon. Not that I’m opposing.’’

‘’Great. I think there’s no use in stalling. I don’t want to mess up with Jack’s little head and it’s only a matter of the ceremony, right?’’

‘’I think so,’’ he said tentatively, hoping it wasn’t a trick to lure him into revealing something she could use against him. He sincerely hoped it wasn’t the case, as he started to develop a sincere fondness towards her and Jack. She must have sensed his cautiousness, as she hurried to add soothingly: ‘’Entering the Milton family isn’t easy. Trust me, I shall know.’’

‘’Bee,’’ squealed the boy in the meantime. Kelly stood up and reached for the bad with toys, taking the plush bee out of it and handed it to Jack.

‘’Isn’t he cute?’’ She asked, looking expectantly at Adam, beaming with maternal pride.

The man chuckled.

‘’Certainly he is now. One Jack of cuteness. Wait till he grows a little bit and starts causing mayhem.’’

Kelly giggled her son with two fingers, sending him into the fit of laughter.

‘’We’ll worry about this when it comes, now let’s just enjoy these good moments.’’

‘’Ma. Mama. A hug,’’ demanded Jack confidently, standing up and extending his arms for Kelly to pull him closer, which she did.

‘’I know, I have all the nannies and caregivers I can ask for, but I try to take care of Jack personally as much as I can. Not usual thing in this circles, so I’m often looked at like someone who had just lost her mind,’’ she said in the tone of explanation, even though Adam said no word.

‘’I don’t think it’s weird,’’ he commented. ‘’I’m sure he needs you more than anyone else. Don’t worry about people talking. It’s stupid to criticize you because you’re a good mum.’’

‘’Thanks, Adam.’’

‘’Daddy. Where. Want Daddy,’’ cried Jack wiggling his way out of Kelly’s embrace.

‘’Daddy’s talking with Uncle Michael,’’ she explained.

‘’Ncle Mika?’’ The toddler asked for confirmation.

‘’Yes, Uncle Mika.’’

Jack came back to chewing his blanket with understatement in his eyes, while Adam covered his mouth with a hand, trying to stifle the laugh. Despite his concern about how Michael’s and Lucifer’s brotherly reunion was doing, he couldn’t stay unbothered by this cute childish nickname.

‘’Jack is exceptionally well-behaved,’’ he smiled, glancing at the kid warmly.

‘’Thank you, but I’m afraid it’s not my claim to fame. We just lucked out for him to be like this,’’ replied Kelly with badly-concealed pride.

‘’I’m sure he’ll make up for this moments of peace later. Teens are crazy and there’s nothing you can do with that.’’

‘’This isn’t the usual thing parents are told,’’ she commented calmly. ‘’Definitely not from the people I usually talk with.’’

‘’I’m sorry. I’m still new to this,’’ he admitted, hoping she wouldn’t judge him too harshly for his lack of refinement.

‘’You’re doing well,’’ she assured him.

Adam had that queasy feeling she managed to look through all his insecurities.

‘’Am I?’’ He smiled sadly. ’’It’s okay, tell me the truth. I’ve heard much worse.’’

Kelly tilted her head.

‘’It’s refreshing to finally have a normal conversation with somebody who isn’t Lucifer and isn’t just trying to get into my good graces. You’ve got that advantage, Adam, that now you’re the one who has power to dictate some rules, so don’t be concerned about doing something wrong.’’

‘’Well, all this high-class rules aren’t my cup of tea.’’

‘’You’ll grasp them effortlessly with time,’’ she assured.

It was borderline impossible to believe the Lady was willing just to accept him the way he was and show him so much kindness without any ulterior motives, but Adam had already learnt not all the nobles were evil, even if they were rather conceited. Even Michael, or especially Michael. 

‘’Aa-daam. Ncle,’’ exclaimed Jack happily, who decided he spent enough time sitting silently. ‘’Take me.’’

Somehow panicked ex-slave glanced at Kelly for the silent permission, but she just nodded.

‘’Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you, he gets talkative in his own way. You can take him, he doesn’t bite,’’ she encouraged.

‘’I’m sorry,’’ he said with embarrassment. ‘’I never had much contact with kids. Are they usually this clingy?’’

‘’Some of them, yes. Don’t be sorry, a lot of depends on a single child.’’

‘’All right. Come here, kiddo,’’ he called softly, reached for Jack, picked him up and sat down on his lap. He never thought he would one day have a child clinging to him, especially with the full approval of the parent. Adam felt a slight flutter in his chest. Maybe he just gained an ally or even two. Maybe he even gained something more than allies. Family.

While Adam’s doubts melted or at least considerable lessened, the atmosphere between Lucifer was Michael so tense that it resembled more of the diplomatic meeting between two hostile countries, with each of the parties expecting to be backstabbed at any moment, than a mirthful get-together of two brothers, who haven’t seen each other for the long period of time and decided for a friendly visit because they missed each other’s dearly.

The younger one was the first to speak.

‘’Kelly spent half of the journey reminding me about manners.’’

‘’Did she succeed?’’ Asked Michael, trying to sound at least close to neutrally.

‘’I don’t know. Did she?’’ Inquired Luce, narrowing his eyes.

‘’I honor her efforts, but I doubt their effectiveness.’’

Lucifer chuckled.

‘’You know me too well, brother. I think she knows that too, as she suggested us to talk without witnesses.’’

‘’I knew this conversation would take place, I just didn’t expect it so soon. You barely arrived.’’

‘’You know me, I never was the one to lose time.’’

‘’I’m amazed by your eagerness to take your wife’s proposal and exclude her from this talk.’’

Luce’s gaze darkened.

‘’In case you didn’t notice, I tried to spare her feelings, not yours.’’

Michael couldn’t have missed an opportunity to send him a convoluted jab.

‘’You love her, in your own way.’’

‘’She’s mother of my son, Michael, but you how could you know what this means,’’ hit back the younger Lord.

‘’Never had this luck, Lucifer, and I’d have to live without it,’’ replied the brunette with dignity. ‘’However, I’m convinced she knows more than she’s willing to show us and this is exactly why she sent us away.’’

‘’Let’s than talk in private. We’ll invite her and your fiancé later.’’

‘’Okay. It’s about Adam, I presume. I know you’ve got lots of questions.’’

Lucifer snorted.

‘’Sure I have, Mike. First things first, one rudimentary question. Why?’’

‘’I fell in love,’’ replied Michael simply.

‘’You fell in love?’’ Repeated Lucifer in disbelief. ‘’You? In love? You’re getting married without having any benefits? Only love? That’s a truly romantic vision, just completely not your style.’’

Michael gritted his teeth, vowing to remain unfazed.

‘’Yes, I’m in love and that’s the reason I’m getting married.’’

‘’Well, well, well…’’ Mused Luce. ‘’I need a while to process it. He’s a commoner?’’

‘’Yes.’’

Next question was more of the statement.

‘’He was a slave.’’

‘’Unfortunately, so,’’ agreed the elder brother bitterly.

‘’Did you really take him to King to free him?’’

‘’I did.’’

Lucifer seemed almost concerned.

‘’Michael, are you sure you aren’t mistaking love for something?’’ He asked in hushed voice, as if trying to lessen the blow.

‘’For example?’’

‘’He was a slave, which means he was programmed to be eager to please and submissive.’’

To Lucifer’s bewilderment, Michael actually started laughing.

‘’He’s neither of those things,’’ he explained after finally catching some air.

‘’Tell me more,’’ Luce demanded.

‘’You’ll see it yourself.’’

‘’You’re not in your most talkative mood today.’’

‘’Apparently.’’

‘’C’mon, Mike, tell me more. I’m dying from curiosity,’’ exclaimed Lucifer, reminding Michael of the boy he once was. He had a point, though. Michael knew that being so economical with words wouldn’t change anything, only delay sharing the hurtful details, so he briefly summarized everything he assumed Lucifer needed to know about Adam and his background.

‘’That doesn’t sound like your usual way of thinking,’’ pointed out Luce.

‘’Don’t presume you know something about my way of thinking,’’ almost snapped Michael, slipping into his defensive pose. Lucifer just stared at him for a while.

‘’Why so hostile, brother? I’m not your enemy.’’

Michael remained silent.

‘’I assume you must have already slept with him,’’ carried on Lucifer.

‘’That’s not of your business, Luce,’’ huffed the elder brother, even though truth being told, this wasn’t the question that surprised him.

‘’Is this yes or no?’’

‘’Okay, I did,’’ confessed Michael.

‘’Good. Life’s too short to wait. I’m glad you have some fun, even if you look as uptight like usual. Shall I feel sorry for the boy?’’

‘’Lucifer, don’t push it.’’

‘’Here we go again,’’ hummed Luce. ‘’Fortunately, I’m here to give you a piece of mind. Roles-reversal, it was worth coming here only to do it.’’

‘’Lucifer, don’t you dare…’’ Said the elder brother threateningly, but Luce brushed it off.

‘’Michael, your boy is pretty, I can see that. Trust me, everybody can. Still, big bro, I’ll tell you a secret. If you want to fuck him, just do it. Nobody would bat an eyelash. Really, you shouldn’t marry him just because of nighttime pleasures.’’

‘’I think you know quite a lot about that topic. You’re the experienced one, after all. What was her name, Lilith?’’ Michael noted with satisfaction color draining from his younger brother’s face. ‘’You loved her, didn’t you? More than you ever loved Kelly.’’

‘’It was fun while it lasted,’’ said Lucifer. ‘’It was over the day she told me about a pregnancy.’’

‘’You’re a one with an illegitimate child, brother, so don’t tell me how to live.’’

Michael knew Luce would never admit he loved his feisty mistress. For a long time Mike even suspected his brother is incapable of love, but Lucifer definitely felt something for her. He paid her handsomely to disappear from his life with their daughter, Ruby and considered the matters closed, but Michael sometimes thought that Lucifer would be way happier with Lilith by his side than he ever was or would be Kelly and Ruby was the child he really wanted, not Jack. Despite all the bad blood between two eldest Miltons, Michael still cared for his brother.

‘’You made an effort to do something good and it’s okay, but you don’t have to involve yourself into this relationship,’’ spoke up Lucifer, conveniently changing the subject.

‘’I want to do it,’’ claimed Michael obstinately. ‘’I love him. He makes me happy. I ensured he doesn’t feel pressured and before you ask, no he’s not manipulating me either.’’ He hated to answer to all these unspoken accusations, but he knew he had to go through it.

‘’I can’t believe you are the one doing something so unconventional,’’ snorted the blond. ‘’Really, Mike, even I got married with whom I should have in the end. You’re really head over hills with that guy. Man, this is beautiful. You are the last person who I had ever suspected about doing something like that. Never took you for a rule breaker. Are you ready for a scandal?’’

‘’I’m ready to deal with the consequences of my actions. I believe my position is solid enough to risk some pitiful reactions.’’

‘’Bro, you’re really so full of yourself.’’

Michael looked at him with tired eyes.

‘’Luce, it’s not like I would lose the title or wealth. Trust me. I’ve got things under control.’’

‘’You’ve got it bad for that boy, don’t you?’’

‘’His name is Adam and yes. I love him more I have ever loved anyone. I don’t care about his past. It’s not his fault he had it hard in his life.’’

To the elder’s brother great surprise, Lucifer actually cheered.

‘’That’s the spirit, Mike! You’ve got my blessing.’’

‘’Thank you?’’ Asked Michael hesitantly, not believing his own ears.

‘’I just had to have the certainty. O man, let’s celebrate. You’re lucky Father didn’t live to see this, or he would surely disown you.’’

‘’I’m afraid you would have disowned you before, so it makes two us,’’ pointed out Michael, but it was a light-hearted remark.

‘’Gabriel and Castiel aren’t exactly model Lords as well. It leaves Raphael. Why I think Father didn’t expect us to end like that.’’

Michael smiled. The heavy atmosphere let up considerable. He missed it, he missed his brother, the original Lucifer from before the trail of misunderstandings started.

‘’One decent heir it more than enough. I still can’t believe it. You’re getting married with a disgraced commoner. Oh, dear,’’ carried on Luce excitedly.

‘’Adam isn’t disgraced. He’s lovely,’’ protested the older brother. ‘’He’s the best man I’ve ever met.’’

‘’Let’s call this lovely being here than. I have to see it with my own eyes. I left my wife and child with him. I’ve left Jack with a criminal.’’

‘’Former,’’ corrected Michael. ‘’Did lesser things than you and only because he didn’t have a choice. He regrets it, deeply.’’

‘’At least I was having a good time.’’

‘’Still showing no remorse?’’

‘’Shall I?’’

‘’Do you really have to ask?’’

‘’Don’t be so narrow-minded, Mike. Not everybody is prim and proper you. I really need to talk to this guy. It’s going be so much fun.’’

‘’Lucifer, you won’t be having fun by the expense of Adam. No. Just no.’’

‘’Don’t you believe in my good intents? I just claimed I’m by your side. I’m sorely disappointed by your lacking trust in me.’’

‘’We’ve been nothing but arguing for years and all this because I chose to fight for you, so I don’t think it’s a big shock.’’

‘’Such a touching concern,’’ sneered Lucifer. ‘’At least now I know you’re not such a walking perfection yourself. This is such an irony, you falling for the call of heart.’’

Michael smiled weakly.

‘’I didn’t plan that.’’

‘’Oh, I bet you didn’t. That must have been a shock- something you couldn’t plan beforehand! How does it feel?’’

‘’Amazing.’’

‘’It might be a surprise for you, bro, but a sappy part of me wants you to be happy. Maybe you’ll be more convinced by the purity of my actions if I tell you than if you’ll be satisfied, your surrounding will be breathing easier as well, as I’d like to imagine you’ll take this stick out of your ass.’’

‘’Lucifer!’’

‘’Welcome back, Michael. I missed your yelling.’’

‘’Lucifer…I don’t know what to do with you anymore,’’ admitted the brunette.

‘’Good thing we’re here to talk about you.’’

The realization his motives would be scrutinized wasn’t the best one, but in the one Michael asked for it himself. He yearned to have faith in Lucifer’s change, he really did, but the healthy dose of distrust kept him careful. Still, he had to give it a shot. He called for a servant to invite Adam and Kelly to join them. Adam indeed turned up almost immediately, looking unperturbed and in rather good mood to the Lord’s relief. He didn’t expect for Kelly to make him feel bad about himself in any way, but there was always a risk.

‘’Kelly isn’t coming?’’ He asked.

‘’She left to put Jack to bed,’’ answered Adam. ‘’They both seemed tired after the long way.’’

‘’Does it mean I have to wait to see my nephew?’’ Asked clearly disappointed Michael.

‘’Mike, don’t be selfish,’’ exclaimed outraged Lucifer. ‘’My son won’t suffer because you want to see him here and now.’’

‘’Lucifer,’’ growled equally resentful by this suggestion Michael. ‘’I would never.’’

‘’Uncle Mika, hmm?’’ Chuckled Adam. ‘’Jack was talkative. He asked about you.’’

‘’Ohhh.’’ Michael instantly looked relieved. ‘’That’s my boy.’’

Lucifer grinned like the cat who got the cream.

‘’Yeah, my son is amazing and I’m glad we all know that.’’

‘’He is,’’ confirmed Adam, taking a spare chair.

‘’You don’t look like the former slave,’’ commented Lucifer, scrutinizing the other blond closely.

‘’How many former slaves do you know so you voice opinions like that?’’ Shot back the ex-offender instantly.

‘’Smartass. You don’t talk like the former slave too,’’ noticed Luce.

‘’I might have brushed off Michael more than I thought.’’

‘’Look at you, not going to back down,’’ teased the Lord.

‘’I don’t see the reason I should,’’ replied unfazed Adam.

‘’I like that attitude.’’

‘’I’m thrilled I managed to meet your expectations. For your information, Jack claimed to like me as well.’’

‘’That kid loves everybody.’’

Michael assumed it was a good moment to stop that exchange of words.

‘’Lucifer, stop harassing Adam. Why are you teasing him?’’

‘’Fiercely protective, I see. Interesting, Mike,’’ half-smiled Luce. ‘’No matter how much pains me to say these words, you were right. Not a dash of submission or apprehensiveness. Maybe I should also get a slave to rehabilitate? Not a tinge of respect as well, but I actually like that.’’

Michael bit his lips, half-mind to point Lucifer out he was the one needing rehabilitation himself in the first place.

‘’If I may, I might have an idea.’’ Suddenly agitated, Adam glanced at his fiancé for approval.

‘’You never needed my permission for anything,’’ fake-scowled Michael. ‘’What’s on your mind? Remember it can’t threaten the integrity of Kingdom.’’

‘’Nah, don’t worry. It’s innocent proposal.’’

‘’Of course,’’ growled the elder Milton, wondering how Adam-Lucifer team-up might end. Maybe he was soon to find out. ‘’Say it already.’’

‘’Nick,’’ stated simply the former slave.

‘’Who’s Nick?’’ asked curiously Lucifer. Michael hoped he didn’t notice that he was surprised by this announcement as well. A minute he had no idea someone like Nick even existed.

‘’A friend of mine,’’ explained Adam. ‘’A slave. He’s a good guy and from all these people he’s definitely the one who deserve a second chance.’’

Lucifer hesitated for a brief moment, but quickly made his mind.

‘’Michael, I seriously don’t get what’s going on under your roof, but it’s fine for me. Adam, will you fetch Nick here?’’

‘’Lucifer, it was fast,’’ noticed the elder brother. ‘’Maybe you should think it over.’’

‘’Mike, Nick’s been through enough. Let Lucifer help him,’’ claimed Adam firmly.

‘’I’m just not sure it’s safe,’’ noticed Michael carefully.

‘’It is,’’ assured him the finance adamantly.

The dark-haired Lord sighed heavily, but nodded.

‘’If you vouch for him, go for it, kid. If that will make you happy.’’

‘’Perfect,’’ grinned the former offender. ‘’I’ll be back,’’ he yelled, almost running out from the room.

Lucifer glanced at Michael sneakily.

‘’If it’ll make you happy? You’ve really grown soft, at least for him.’’

‘’Shut up, Luce. It was your call to make.’’

‘’I’m very curious about this Nick guy.’’

‘’Good luck with him, brother.’’

‘’Yeah, good luck to me. You should be proud of yourself, you’re the one that inspired me.’’

A sneaky smile appeared on Michael’s face.

‘’Oh, yes. Why should you have it better than me? It would be unfair, after all.’’

Lucifer narrowed his eyes, but didn’t say the word. For the first time since Luce’s arrival Michael felt really triumphant. He managed to make his silver-tongued brother lose his words.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100k. I can’t believe it’s happening. I feel like celebrating. Also, this is the longest chapter I have written for this story. They seriously are getting longer and longer with the longer I write.

Adam couldn’t recall when was the last time he was in such a rush. Since his engagement he managed to suppress thinking about the time he spent enslaved, repressing the traumatic events, which wasn’t hard due to his mind being set on different joys and concerns, but in the somehow spontaneous, unexpected way, he was heading to the place where everything started. He was running downstairs, to the kitchen. It was a spur of the moment, as Adam still wasn’t ready for the planned conformation and had doubts when he would be, if ever. He wanted to slow down, but he knew he couldn’t. It would mean questioning his actions, he would start to have doubts about crossing kitchen’s threshold. However, he had that ingrained sense of doing what was right and no matter how painful the confrontation with his own memories was, he just had to retrieve Nick.

‘’C’mon, Adam,’’ he muttered to himself. ‘’You’re the big boy, you had it much worse, don’t be a coward.’’

Despite this perfectly logical reasoning, he felt his stomach knotting tightly the closer to the kitchen’s door Adam was. The fact he was approaching this damned place out of his free will didn’t make it any easier, rather the opposite. In addition to that, the memories were still painfully fresh and became more and more vivid with every step, but he refused to give up because of that. He had a mission. He could make a difference. A pleasant feeling by itself, despite the crappy situation in overall. This wasn’t how he imagined this day to go, but so far he couldn’t complain.

He entered the kitchen without any problems, as the doors were opened due to terrible heat. Adam had almost forgotten how sultry it was inside. He took a few steps, starting his search for Nick, catching these curious looks of the slaves, but almost instantly he was approached by the overseer. He desperately tried to move, but he just have frozen for what felt like eternity, but in fact lasted only for a few seconds. The man who crossed his way wasn’t Crowley. Adam wasn’t exactly fond of the guy, but he would have traded everything in that moment to face him instead of one of the lesser-rank men. The burning issue was, he knew the guy since his own slavery time. Despite Zachariah’s favored hands-on-approach, he couldn’t have been everywhere in the same time, so he just had to delegate some of his work to others.

‘’I know you,’’ said the man, Uriel, Adam reminded himself the name. He obviously never harbored any warmer thoughts towards this bulky, smug-looking man, but undoubtedly preferred him to Zachariah. Still, it took all the strength he had not to let his flashbacks win.

‘’You’re stupid to come back here,’’ mused Uriel, his eyes glinting cruelly. Adam knew he no longer looked like a slave, but the panic on his face must have betrayed him. ‘’It looks like I’ve just got a slave caught on the numerous offences. ‘’Leaving your workplace, not wearing the usual robes and the collar, sneaking in and out, the list goes on. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen you in here for a while.’’

Uriel was terribly loud, making the standing nearby slaves halt doing whatever they were doing and stare curiously at the scene. There were few familiar faces, but the future Lord refused to think about that. His head was spinning. What would Michael do? Adam was sure he would handle this situation effortlessly, presumably not even paying much attention, just one of the usual things that happened to him on the regular basis, but Adam wasn’t him. He had to learn to deal with obstacles like these in his own way. He was the one supposed to have an upper hand after all. Would Michael be intimidated by the mere overseer’s helper? Not even in alternate reality. Adam felt his dread being replaced by anger.

‘’I am not a slave,’’ he hissed. ’’Stop making a scene,’’ he demanded. ‘’Tell me where is Nick,’’ he added in calmer tone. Due to this unplanned perturbation he had almost forgotten about the initial aim of his visit.

The excited whispers reached Adam’s ears, but he chose to ignore them for the time being. He had more urgent matters to handle, namely Uriel who didn’t react the desired way.

‘’I don’t care who you claim to be, but I’m not buying any of that charade. You’re not the one calling the shots here, I am, and I’ll make sure you remember this in the future.’’

Adam fought an internal battle to stay tall and don’t show any signs of being intimidated. He had to remind himself he wasn’t an imposter, he had all the rights guaranteed by law and to add to that, he had a power in his hand. Despite this, as Uriel took a step in his direction, he automatically took a step back. Legal status aside, his self-preservations were thankfully intact. Years of habits were hard to break. Once again, he had to swallow his pride and forget that the probably was the object of the show, causing the biggest commotion in kitchen since months, if not years.

‘’Don’t you dare,’’ he challenged, catching himself with quoting Michael. 

Uriel seemed amused by this attempt. Apparently Adam still had a lot of to learn from Michael and other nobles, but he refused to back down. He never had anyone’s support, so relying only on himself wasn’t a novelty.

‘’No, don’t you dare,’’ he snorted. His mind started to work in the really fast pace, his thoughts torn between fight or flight. Then, luckily, a familiar figure appeared in the entrance and was walking to them. Wasting no more time, Adam paced to him out of his own accord, followed by Uriel. 

‘’Crowley, I’ve never thought I’d be so happy to see you,’’ the blond man gasped. ‘’Get hold on your man.’’

A swift thought about threatening with passing the information about his employee’s insubordination crossed his mind, but he quickly decided against it. He didn’t need to use Michael’s authority to solve his own problems. The whole point about the head overseer being introduced to him a couple days ago was giving him means to manage without assistance.

‘’Lord Adam,’’ replied Crowley in his professional voice. ‘’How can I help you? Could you tell me what brings you here?’’

Uriel looked as if he was about to suffocate. Adam, however, felt a whole lot steadier than a few minutes before. He had an ally.

‘’Crowley,’’ he replied, taking a deep breath. ‘’Your assistant, I believe, is completely useless. I’m looking for someone and he not only refused to be help me, but also was terribly rude, attempting to humiliate me.’’

‘’Mr Crowley, it’s nothing close to the truth,’’ chimed Uriel.

‘’Shut up, Uriel,’’ growled Crowley, leering at the man. ‘’Are you dumb or suicidal? Or maybe both?’’

‘’I was just doing my job,’’ Uriel defended himself.

‘’Your job? I doubt anybody here is paying you to disrespect Lord’s Michael’s fiancé.’’

‘’Fiancé?’’ Echoed Uriel with his booming voice.

Adam could have sworn all the eyes in the kitchen were fixed on him, making him instantly feel like an animal in the zoo. On the other hand, he could barely blame these people- this was the huge breach in their miserable, monotone life. Crowley must have noticed it as well, as he yelled at them to go back to work, momentarily slipping into his overseer manner.

‘’My sincere apologizes, Lord Adam,’’ he carried on in his normal voice, his professional demeanor back.

‘’I’m not touched by his pitiful actions, Crowley,’’ replied the former slave. ‘’Maybe he just didn’t know better.’’ He assumed being generous instead of vindictive would infuriate Uriel more and it took one glance at the man to see he was right. Besides, he had the hunch bordering with certainty that Crowley wouldn’t just let it slide and he didn’t envy Uriel the consequences.

‘’I can assure you, Lord Adam, this would be taken care of,’’ assured the overseer. The dark-skinned man looked like he was about to protest, but wisely chose to remain silent. Adam, however, tried to stifle the shudder himself. _Taken care of_ sounded so innocent, Adam had been taken care of many time as well, when he was deemed problematic, which was often. Even though he was sure Uriel wouldn’t be treated half as cruelly as Adam used to be, not being a freeman and an employ, he still wouldn’t like to trade places with him. He just smiled politely at Crowley.

‘’I’m sure it was the last time.’’

‘’Oh, it was,’’ promised the overseer ominously.

‘’Okay,’’ agreed Adam lightly. ‘’Now, after we’ve got this settled, I came here to do something. I’m here to pick Nick.’’

Crowley was understandably lost.

‘’Nick? Who is Nick, My Lord?’’

‘’My Lord’’ or ‘’Lord Adam’’ sounded strangely foreign to Adam’s ears, even though he was titled like that recently on the regular basis. He assumed it would take a while until he would get used to it. He briefly described Nick’s appearance, his approximate age and usual place of work as well. Uriel, who was very brief with word that time, informed him that Nick was delegated to cleaning floors in the corridor. Not looking back, the ex-offended left the room, reassuming his quest to find a friend.

He paced through the corridor, the closer he got, he more impatient he was, when he finally saw Nick. His heart squeezed painfully. Even from the distance Nick looked so emaciated, it was nearly unimaginable. Adam had to admit he had lived in sheltered world since his departure from Eden. His cheeks were burning from shame when he realized he could have intervened earlier. Anyway, he couldn’t change the past, but he could change the future. He owned it to Nick. He slowed down significantly, hoping not to scare the friend off with his sudden intrusion. However, since the subtlety was never his strong suit and the excitement and happiness took over, he just walked to Nick, who didn’t even look up and halt work, since he must had many people passing by and stopping every time wouldn’t be desired.

‘’Nick, Nick, it’s me,’’ Adam called softly.

This was the moment the slave bothered to raise his read.

‘’Adam!’’ he exclaimed, looking at the younger man with disbelief, smiling broadly, having probably the first reason to since the long time. ‘’I’ve thought we lost you. You know, people were talking different things, speculating. You look good. Tell me, what happened? Are you even supposed to be here?’’ He asked, reasonable as always.

‘’People were really talking about me?’’ asked intrigued Adam instead of giving the answer. ‘’I thought nobody cared.’’

‘’They thought Master Michael wanted to make an example out of you. Nobody knew what really happened, you were just gone, this was all strange, people just tried to explain to themselves what happened.’’

‘’Sorry, Nick, I should have visited you earlier,’’ chuckled the former slave. ‘’My bad, I messed up. Yes, in a way, he made an example out of me. Yeah, a poster boy, you can say.’’

‘’Not that I’m not happy about you being okay, but you don’t actually look contrite or anything.’’

‘’I can’t think of any reason I should be. Long story short, Michael sent me there, because…’’

‘’Adam!’’ hissed panicked Nick. ‘’This is ‘’Master’’ for you. What if somebody hears you? Show some respect, for crying out loud. You didn’t change a bit. You and your big mouth of yours.’’

‘’Nick, easy, he’s not even here. Even if, what’s the difference? This is how I call him these days.’’

Adam almost laughed at horror in older’s man eyes.

‘’Please, Adam, this is stupid even for you,’’ virtually pleaded Nick. ‘’Tell me you’re joking.’’

‘’Trust me, I’m as serious as I can be,’’ replied calmly the blue-eyed man. ‘’Mike in return calls me insufferable brat, asks me who I think I am and what the hell he should do with me. Finally, he decided to put the bounds on me, like permanently.’’

Adam waved his hand in front of shell-shocked Nick face.

‘’Engagement ring. Before you say something, I love this guy like crazy, even if he is such a conceited, arrogant and full of himself type.’’

This certainly didn’t help Nick to ease his worry.

‘’Adam, I don’t know what kind of weird game you’re playing, but please stop before someone catches you. This ring looks whole lot expensive, better put it back from wherever you took it.’’

‘’Nick, I’m not kidding, really. Good to know Michael put effort into finding something expensive for me. My fiancé is rich, so I don’t have to swear off anything now. I’m going to live this life to a fullest. Michael is really sweet. Okay, sometimes. But he carries me to bed every night and comforts me after I’m having nightmares.’’

‘’Adam, you can’t expect me to believe Lord Milton wants to marry you.’’

‘’You think I’m not good enough for him?’’ inquired Adam, pouting. ‘’If he says I am, than I am.’’

Nick looked at him, dumbfounded. On the one hand, his long-lost friends, seemed to be believing in what he was saying. On the other, Nick couldn’t fathom any idea why Lord Michael play so time and energy consuming tricks on a lowly slave. Maybe it was really a refined plot to teach Adam his place. Despite his all warm feelings for the boy, Nick was sometimes terrified of how unruly he could have been. Maybe physical correction couldn’t break his willfulness, so they resorted to more refined approach. Still, it didn’t make any sense. Nobody would pay much so attention to troublesome slave when there were easier and much faster methods.

‘’You know, congratulations would be nice,’’ spoke up Adam, pulling the older man from his frantic thoughts. ‘’I’ve just told you I met a love of my life.’’

‘’Sorry to ruin it for you, kid, but he won’t marry you.’’ Nick’s heart broke to be the one to deliver sad news, but the other blond didn’t looked moved by these words.

‘’He will, Nick. He’s a man of his word. Actually, he’s got an offer for you. Okay, it might be mine and Lucifer’s combined ideas, but still, we’ve got his full support.’’

This was the moment Nick lost it totally.

‘’Listen, kid,’’ he said, sweating up. ‘’I really don’t get what’s going on in there and please, be careful and even double please, don’t drag me in this mess. Listen, I made some really, like really bad life choices and I’m paying for them now, but I don’t want to make things worse,’’ he explained, speaking like to young child, while Adam just smiled at him almost condescendingly in return, making him even more uneasy.

‘’Nick, I know, I’ve told you too much in one go, it’s actually the whole story, Mike and I needed time to get to know each other better, really, I sometimes still don’t know whether I want to fuck him or kill him. I mean, he’s a piece of work sometimes and used to bossing around and takes it for granted everybody just heeds his orders, but it’s not entirely his work. He was just raised this way. Besides, I must admit, I kinda like this authoritative side of his. Sometimes, not too often.’’

‘’Adam, let me hug you and go fix things before it’s too late,’’ asked Nick quietly.

‘’There’s nothing to fix,’’ replied the former slave cheerfully. ‘’I don’t remember when it was better than now, but feel free to hug me. I missed you, Nick.’’

The older man started to make a gesture as if he was going to pull Adam into the embrace, but was stop in between by a bellowing voice of the servant who just approached from by the corner.

‘’Step aside from Lord Adam!’’

Nick of course immediately listened, forcing himself not to panic at the sight of the wrathful freeman.

‘’It’s fine, Benny,’’ assured Adam softly. ‘’I’ve asked him to do that. And I’m not a Lord.’’

‘’Not a Lord _yet_ ,’’ replied the no-nonsense looking man, eyeing Nick suspiciously. ‘’But it’s only a matter of time and formalities. You’re a Lord in everything except name. Besides, Lord Michael would have my head if you come to any harm.’’

‘’It’s really fine, Benny,’’ repeated Adam one more time. ‘’Nick here is a friend. Please be kind to him.’’

‘’Of course, My Lord,’’ replied Benny dutifully. ‘’If that’s your wish.’’

‘’Great,’’ beamed the young man. ‘’You may go, Benny. There’s nothing here you should be worried about,’’ he added, seeing that the guard didn’t show any intention of leaving him.

Benny bowed his head and left, leaving wide-eyed Nick, who couldn’t find the words for a while.

‘’What was that?’’ He managed to utter.

Adam shrugged.

‘’As you’ve heard, Michael can be fiercely protective. Sorry for that.’’

‘’Adam, are you serious? Does Lord Michael really, ekhm, favor you?’’

‘’If you want to put it that way, you can say so. His intentions are pure and so are mine, don’t worry. I wouldn’t corrupt your precious Lord.’’

‘’This isn’t all a big trick?’’ Asked the older man hesitantly.

‘’Of course not,’’ replied outraged Adam. ‘’I’ll tell you everything with details later, promise, this is quite a tale, but now Michael is waiting.’’

‘’I’m going to meet Lord Michael in person?’’ Inquired further Nick in disbelief.

‘’Oh yes, you do, so cheer up.’’

The slave had doubts whether he had a reason to, but kept silent about that.

‘’How did you manage to get into his good graces with your attitude?’’ He asked instead.

‘’Actually, I think my attitude is something that helped me immensely. At least with me he has something to argue and bicker with.’’

‘’Adam,’’ said Nick weakly. ‘’You can’t say ‘’no’’ to your Lord.’’

‘’First thing, I can and I do, often and second, I don’t really think about him in that categories. Besides, you’ve heard Benny. They all started considering me the Lord as well. What a strange feeling, Nick. Suddenly everybody is so nice to me. Well, almost everybody, but anyway, a huge shift. Get a life man, because from now on, yours can be better too.’’

The more Adam was talking, the less Nick understood, but doubted asking more questions would help him to do so.

‘’Nick, I’m so terribly sorry I came to fetch you so late. I’m so sorry, first I got ill, than it was just a big chaos and I was just self-centered and focused on myself and Michael,’’ carried on the younger man.

‘’It’s fine, Adam,’’ managed to reply Nick with a dry throat. Despite all this madness, at least Adam was fine or relatively fine, which was all that mattered. Nick spent so much time worrying about the boy, convinced he finally got himself into trouble so deep there was no way out. He just hoped this kid wasn’t suffering much, and Adam turned out to be confident and cheerful, in a much better shape than the last time Nick saw him.

‘’It’s not fine. I was just so happy, so elated, I was thinking about myself, but it’s not a justification. I left you in these terrible conditions for too long and you have always been such a true friend. Will you ever forgive me?’’

‘’There’s nothing for me to forgive.’’

There was something in Adam which made Nick follow him despite his own pile of doubts. Adam was chatting about someone called Lucifer, who apparently was Lord’s Michael’s brother and for some reason requested Nick’s presence, which flabbergasted the latter. As they reached their destination, he was half-mind to flee, but the odd calm radiating from the younger man convinced him to give it a shot. Once upon a time, Nick was the brave man, he that was in his previous life.

The room he found himself in was the greatest place he had ever been in his whole life. Nick bowed his head respectfully, muttering the mandatory ‘’My Lords,’’ while Adam beamed with enthusiasm and optimism.

‘’Mike, Luce, this is Nick,’’ he announced.

‘’It took you a while,’’ commented Lucifer.

‘’Yep,’’ agreed Adam lightly. ‘’The good news, I’m back and not alone. I had a minor problem in kitchens, but it’s all settled now, so don’t worry.’’

‘’A problem?’’ Frowned the elder Lord. ‘’Shall I intervene?’’

‘’Nah, everything’s fine, seriously. Nothing worth your time.’’

Dumbstruck Nick watched how Michael walked straight to Adam, expecting something horrible to happen, despite all what he had already seen and heard, but Lord Milton just smiled genially and pulled the younger man into one-sided quick hug, blowing a kiss to his dark blond strands.

‘’Yeah, I know,’’ weighed in the second man, who must have been Lucifer, seeing horror in slave’s eyes. ‘’They really should be less demonstrative in public. Guys, people are watching,’’ he added, sending Adam and Michael a mock-offended glare.

‘’This is why we’re keeping it mild,’’ yelled back Adam.

‘’Of course,’’ sneered Luce.

‘’Since when you become such a prude, brother?’’ Asked Michael playfully. ‘’O, gosh,’’ he exclaimed, taking a closer look on Nick. ‘’Luce, do you see it?’’

‘’It’s hard not to see. It’s almost like looking in the mirror.’’ Lucifer snapped at Adam. ‘’You did it on purpose, you brat.’’

Nick took a step back, horrified with what was about to come inevitably, but the boy just laughed.

‘’No, I swear, it’s a sheer coincidence,’’ he explained. ‘’Something tells me you two will get along. By the way, Michael calls me that too.’’

‘’Clearly you deserve it.’’

‘’Lucifer, what I’ve told about teasing Adam?’’ Asked Michael with a tone of teacher berating an impertinent student. Lucifer, however, never paid much heeds to brother’s scolding and this time was evidently no exception.

‘’Michael, I’m absolutely convinced your pretty boy, my future-brother-in-law is perfectly capable of speaking for himself,’’ he replied, winking flippantly at Adam, who couldn’t help but smile.

‘’Let’s talk about Nick, okay?’’ He offered diplomatically.

Nick silently prayed for the Earth to open up and swallow him, but the merciless globe refused to do so.

‘’Yes, Nick,’’ agreed Lucifer. ‘’Let’s talk about you.’’

Lord Lucifer wasn’t unkind or condescending, in fact so far he was much more straightforward than literally all the freeman Nick had met since he got enslaved, but he still felt unsteady. One moment he was scrubbing the floors, as the good slave repenting for his vile acts and the few moments later he found himself upstairs, in the presence of two Lords and his rebellious friend Adam, who apparently managed in some mysterious way to win a heart of the proud, distant, dignified Lord. Nick really needed more evidence for the unbelievable, but for the time being he just had to believe his own eyes and ears. Lord Lucifer definitely struck him as much more laid back than his brother, whose glance softened only when he met Adam’s eye.

‘’So Nick, Adam here was so kind to tell us you’ve seen the error of your ways yada yada yada,’’ said Lord Lucifer. Lord Michael frowned, but didn’t interrupt. The prolonged silence made him aware that it was some kind of convoluted question and he was expected to give an answer.

‘’Yes, Master Lucifer,’’ he agreed meekly.

‘’Good. So, Nick, do you want to be rehabilitated?’’ Carried on the Lord.

Did he? There was only one correct answer to this one. Besides, it happened to be a true one.

‘’Yes, Master Lucifer.’’

‘’Than congratulations, you’ll eligible for rehabilitation, starting today.’’

Nick almost keeled over from shock.

‘’Thank you, Master Lucifer,’’ he managed to utter, while Adam beamed on even brighter. Even Master Michael smiled softly, probably because of fiancé’s quiet joy than because of Nick’s change of fate, but it didn’t make any difference to Nick. 

‘’Than everything’s settled. I might actually start to like that. Social work, yeah,’’ cheered Luce.

‘’Take it seriously, brother,’’ remarked the other Lord calmly.

‘’I will,’’ promised Lucifer.

Relieved Adam moved to sit on Michael’s lap, who put both hands on his waist and kissed him tenderly in return. Lucifer just rolled his eyes before throwing off one of his usual remarks.

‘’Ahh, we’ll leave you now, lovebirds, however I don’t think us being here isn’t a problem for you,’’ he exclaimed frivolously and motioned with his hand to Nick to follow him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to reintroduce Nick after Adam and Michael were engaged and when it was possible to hand him over to Luce, this is why it had taken so long. Anyway, he’s back and we’ll see more of him in the future. I know this isn’t how we saw him in the fourteenth season, but I think it’s fair to assume he would be the way he is in this fic judging by circumstances. I liked season 5 Nick better than later Nick anyway.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay…After rethinking it, I decided the trope of vindictive, jealous slaves don’t sit well with me and I would only mess it up, so I’m playing it different way. I’m focusing on other tropes.

The next day, Adam went to check on Nick. His friend was in one of the guest rooms, sitting stiffly on the couch, as if afraid to move for an inch, looking at everything with an awe in his eyes.

‘’Hi, Nick,’’ exclaimed the younger man. ‘’How are you doing?’’

‘’This place is beautiful, Adam. Once upon a time, in different life, a had a big house in nice neighborhood, but this, this is just magnificent,’’ replied the slave, confirming Adam’s theory.

‘’Is everything all right? Are you good? Did they give you something to eat?’’ Adam rushed straight to the point.

Nick nodded fervently.

‘’Yes, yes, Adam. Food, bed, new clothes. I wasn’t even given any orders except being told to stay here. Is this all a dream?’’

‘’Nah, it’s perfectly real. You’ll get used to it.’’

‘’I doubt I’d ever take it for granted. Do you think I can be rehabilitated?’’

This question painfully reminded Adam of the times he times he was looked at with contempt, given pointed glares, while Michael was asked whether he thought this offender really could be rehabilitated. He hated that, humiliation from being objectified mixing with the shame for his past deeds.

‘’For me you already are,’’ he replied earnestly, when something hit him. ‘’Nick, why do you have this collar still on?’’

Dumbfounded slave couldn’t find the words to answer.

‘’It’s where it should be,’’ he managed to utter eventually.

‘’Nick, take it off,’’ demanded the younger man firmly.

‘’Adam, I can’t.’’

‘’Nick, just do it.’’

‘’Adam, I mean Master Adam…’’

‘’Don’t you dare,’’ cut him off Adam sharply. ‘’Just don’t,’’ he added almost pleadingly.

‘’You’re free, so you’re rightfully a Master to me,’’ stated the slave matter-of-factly. ‘’Like every freeman.’’

‘’Nick, I will never be that to you,’’ replied the other man adamantly, even though he fought the wave of nausea. He couldn’t even stomach saying the word ‘’Master’’ aloud. ‘’Never. I swear. I’m still the same person,’’ he finished in a calmer tone, trying to get his own anxiety under control.

‘’When you interrupted me a second ago, you sounded terribly authoritative, almost like….’’

Nick left it hanging, but Adam knew what he meant.

‘’Like Michael?’’

‘’Probably. A Lord anyway. Like somebody who’s used to calling the shots.’’

Adam looked at him with terror in his eyes.

‘’No, Nick, please, tell me you weren’t serious. I can’t act like that.’’

‘’Why not? Isn’t it what is now expected of you?’’

Adam rubbed his temples, feeling the headache growing. He definitely didn’t sign up for this. Still, maybe he was really too optimistic assuming nothing would change between Nick and him. Of course Nick felt unsteady and overwhelmed. Adam mentally smacked himself in the head. How could he had been so naïve to assume otherwise.

‘’I’ve never done what’s been expected of me, not completely and I see no reason to start now.’’

Nick finally allowed himself to smile.

‘’That sounds a lot like Adam I knew.’’

‘’At least that, Nick.’’ Adam seriously looked forward to that one day, hopefully sooner than later, Nick would treat him normally again. Back then, he understandably wasn’t fond of the older’s man gentle scoldings, but paradoxically he started to miss them, preferring that convoluted act of care than seeing a friend in this hesitant, tentative state of mind. He was barely twenty three, barely an adult. The part of him always acknowledged it was a good thing to have someone to take care of him, even though Nick couldn’t have done much to protect him, being basically helpless and on overseer’s mercy himself, plus Adam with his refusal to keep his head down made himself an easy target. Not that he regretted standing up for himself. Never, not for a single second. Still, he vastly preferred the option where Nick was there to comfort him and give him advice than the other way round.

Before he went down this downward spiral of thoughts, he was rescued by Kelly’s and Jack arrival. Nick obediently stood up and bowed his head, while Adam just greeted her with a small smile, extending his arms invitingly to Jack. The Lady stood the boy on the ground. Jack made a few quick steps, moving quickly around the chamber this his usual grin, but suddenly he started bawling uncontrollably. Both Adam and Kelly ran to him immediately, Kelly picked him up and started rocking him in her arms, humming something resembling a lullaby, but with no avail. Instead of calming down, the toddler just cried harder and fought to free himself, so Kelly gave up and stood him down on the carpet. Jack immediately, as fast as his chubby legs allowed it, run down to Nick and reached his grabby hands at him. The startled slave glanced at the Lady, who observed the whole scene in silence. The boy, who quieted for short moment, wailed again.

‘’Pick him up,’’ ordered Kelly. ‘’It’s okay,’’ she added quickly in a softer tone, seeing the doubt on Nick’s face. ‘’You probably just remind him of his dad.’’

With a great care and gentleness, the slave bend over and picked Jack, whose tears immediately subsided, replaced with a broad grin. Adam beamed as well.

‘’It looks that, Nick, your position is secure. Jack would never let you go,’’ he said half-jokingly.

Nick, after the initial hesitance got reassured, shifted the toddler into his arms and started speaking to him softly, forgetting about the formalities for a while.

‘’Hi, little guy, I’m not your daddy, but I’m happy to be here with you.’’

Jack squealed in absolute delight, clapping his chubby hands excitedly.

Kelly slowly stepped closer.

‘’This is Nick, sweetie. He’s staying with us,’’ she explained to her son.

‘’Nick,’’ repeated the kid happily. ‘’Nick.’’

‘’You’re very generous, Mistress,’’ said Nick gratefully, the geniue joy painted on his face.

Adam laughed cheerfully.

‘’It looks like you’ve got yourself a fan. I have to say you and Jack go better together than I expected.’’

After the slight encouragement, Nick sat down on the carpet and started playing with Jack, for the first time in years feeling like a normal adult. He got so engrossed in the activity, that he barely registered Adam speaking to the Lady.

‘’Kelly, one more thing. Could you please tell Nick it’s okay to take this collar off? He won’t listen to me.’’

‘’Oh,’’ she exclaimed in surprise, making the slave involuntarily brace himself for something painful to happen. ‘’Of course, Nick. Take the collar off.’’

Nick looked at her quizzing, certain that he had misheard her words.

‘’Mistress?’’ He asked hesitantly.

She nodded encouragingly.

‘’Do it. It’s not a trick.’’

Nick slowly, hesitantly tinkered with an clasp for a while. The collar wasn’t easy to be taken off, but doing so wasn’t exactly difficult either. It would have probably gone more smoothly if his hands weren’t trembling. Despite the explicit permission from the Lady it felt like a blatant act of rebellion.

In the end the clasp gave up rather easily, a clear sign that a collar was more of the symbolic act of ownership than something else. The thought that it could be taken off any moment was terrifying. The consequences would undoubtedly have been dire. There were few to none slaves who dared to even think about taking collar off, let alone do such a blasphemous act. Even Adam didn’t do it himself, leaving Michael to do it for him, twice. Granted, first time he was mostly unconscious and in pain, too focused on something else and the second he was too shocked after being liberated to take such an action, but in between he was good, he didn’t give Michael problems in this department, no matter how he hated the damned thing.

Nick had to admit Mistress Kelly was very Lady-like and not Lady-like in the same time. On the one hand, she was dignified, well-mannered and confident. There was something about her that just screamed of her noble origins. On the other hand, she was so kind, compassionate and thoughtful. Nick just dared to hope that with such a Mistress his newly found freedom to believe that something good was still awaiting him in his life wouldn’t be taken away from him the moment he lose his alertness.

***

After spending a few hours with a tutor, Adam came back to his and Michael’s shared quarters, finding his fiancé sitting with Lucifer.

‘’Dude, you look beat,’’ spoke up Luce. ‘’Did Michael hire a sadist to teach you?’’

The other man rolled his eyes.

‘’I’m fine, Lucifer. I asked for it.’’

The younger Lord winked at him.

‘’If you need help dealing with my bossy brother, just let me know.’’

‘’Seriously, it’s not like that, but I appreciate the offer.’’

‘’Don’t worry about Lucifer’s talking,’’ chimed in Michael. ‘’I had just finished explaining him why do you love me.’’

‘’Same here. Yesterday, I had to explain Nick why do you love me,’’ admitted Adam.

Michael shifted on his armchair.

‘’Oh, yes, good thing you mentioned him. I need to talk with you about Nick.’’

The former offender beamed with pride and satisfaction.

‘’He’s accommodating fairly nicely, doesn’t he? He actually played with Jack today.’’

To Adam’s confusion, Michael didn’t seem to share his enthusiasm.

‘’Yes, Adam, I’ve been told. Kelly mentioned it in the talk earlier today. She doesn’t seem bothered,’’ he said in serious tone.

‘’Why would she be?’’

‘’He’s a criminal.’’

Oh, so it was about it. Adam definitely didn’t agree with this reasoning when it came to Nick, but he could have grasped what was on the Lord’s mind. He, personally, never thought about Nick in those categories, how could he with his own list of wrongdoings. Who he was to judge, with being on the fringes of society himself, with being equally despised and looked down on.

Why this day seemed like moving from one crisis to another and it wasn’t even so late? Five minutes ago he thought the one with Nick had been defused and now here it came again. Okay, he would explain everything to Michael and it would be all right. No reason to fret.

‘’Michael, you didn’t have concerns about Nick before,’’ he reminded. ‘’You knew about it earlier.’’

‘’Yes, but it was before I find out he actually has the contact with my nephew. This changes everything, Ads,’’ declared the Lord matter-of-factly.

Lucifer was mysteriously silent, as if he was an accidental bystander. The ex-slave didn’t know whether it was a good sign or a bad one, but it didn’t change anything in what he needed to tell Michael.

‘’What exactly bothers you, Mike?’’ He asked for clarification, even if he had his own suspicions.

‘’I can’t risk him hurting Jack.’’

Okay, so nothing unexpected. Michael was just concerned, but it was unnecessary.

‘’Jack won’t come to any harm. Nick is docile, remorseful, broken and this is your fault,’’ claimed Adam adamantly.

‘’My fault?’’ Echoed shell-shocked nobleman. ‘’A few days ago I didn’t even knew about his existence.’’

‘’Your people to be exact, but you hired them, so please don’t try to run away from responsibility,’’ pointed out the younger man.

‘’For crying out loud, Adam…’’ started the Lord, but stopped not really willing to argue in front of his brother. ‘’What exactly did he do to end up enslaved?’’ He asked instead.

‘’Something connected with protecting his family. Lost a wife and a child.’’

‘’That’s heartbreaking,’’ chimed in Luce.

‘’There’s no need for sarcasm, Lucifer,’’ snapped Michael.

‘’I’m telling the truth. Let’s say fatherhood changed me.’’

The elder brother didn’t look convinced, but didn’t push it further.

‘’Hey, Nick is a good man,’’ tried Adam gently. ‘’He deserves a second chance. He had suffered enough.’’

Michael frowned.

‘’I don’t wish to add to his suffering, I’m just unsure if letting him near Jack is the good idea. ‘’Something connected’’ sounds way too unclear for my liking.’’

‘’I vouch for him,’’ claimed the former offender fiercely.

‘’Lucifer, why do I have an impression I am more concerned about your own son than you do?’’ Asked the older Lord, shifting his attention to his brother. Lucifer shrugged.

‘’Because you’re paranoid. Don’t you trust your own fiancé if he says it’s okay? We’ve both seen him, this man is half-broken. He wouldn’t dare to hurt my kid. Michael, there aren’t many things I care about in this world, but my son is one of them. Besides, I know what you think about Kelly, but when it comes to Jack she can turn into the real lioness in the second. She wouldn’t let anybody hurt our baby.’’

‘’She has always struck me as a rather gentle being,’’ noticed the dark-haired Lord.

‘’Maybe she’s like that comparing to Lucifer,’’ chimed in Adam.

‘’Right, that might be a thing,’’ agreed Michael.

‘’Oh, please, we aren’t here to talk about Kelly,’’ groaned Luce.

‘’Brother, I have to say I respect your wife a lot,’’ admitted the elder nobleman. ‘’This, however, doesn’t make me any less concerned for her and Jack’s safety and wellbeing.’’

‘’Michael, I care a lot about Jack too, even if I barely met him, but you need to give Nick a credit of trust if he’s to be rehabilitated,’’ pointed out Adam. It was immensely odd, having this conversation from the other angle, so different from the place he started this journey. He could barely blame Michael for being protective about Jack, but he had to stand for a friend.

‘’He doesn’t have a collar.’’ The Lord’s tone clearly conveyed the message what he thought about this infraction. Adam had almost forgotten how conservative his fiancé sometimes tended to be.

‘’Kelly’s order,’’ he replied shortly.

‘’Was it?’’

The former slave rolled his eyes.

‘’I might have asked her to do it. He wasn’t sure whether he can listen to mine request. Michael, is that really such a problem for you?’’

‘’Him not obeying your orders? Of course it is, Adam. This is crucial for you to be respected.’’

The longer this exchange of words lasted, the more painfully it reminded Adam he and Michael sometimes still saw the world in different ways.

‘’No, Michael, no. It’s perfectly understandable he’s confused. Mike, he just got showered with the heap of mind-blowing information. Last time he saw me I was on the bottom of this social ladder, with him. He was my only friend, he tried to shield me. Michael, I can’t just order him round. It would be so wrong.’’

‘’Do you still consider him a friend?’’

This question, asked so casually, took Adam by a surprise. Wasn’t the answer obvious, so obvious he didn’t even consider another option?

‘’Of course I do. How could I not?’’ He asked fiercely. ‘’He was there for me when it costed him a lot, in the darkest hour and I failed to think about pulling him out of there earlier,’’ he added after a few seconds with a hushed voice, sadness and guilt in his eyes.

‘’Adam, I love you so much. You’re so selfless and kind-hearted. Quit blaming yourself, you’ve been through a lot as well,’’ Michael reassured him gently.

‘’Oh, please, not again,’’ groaned Lucifer. ‘’My teeth will rot if you act like that every other hour.’’

‘’Not so long ago, you accused me of being insensitive,’’ pointed out his brother.

‘’Okay, okay, you have a heart. Sometimes. Just stop doing it in front of my eyes.’’

Adam grinned.

‘’Michael, before we all sidetrack, the point is, cut Nick some slack. Stop jumping to conclusion he’s plotting something.’’

Michael run his hand through his hair.

‘’Maybe you’re right, Adam.’’

The blond smiled weakly.

‘’Of course I am. Never in my life I had to do with so much negotiations as in these few days.’’

‘’Welcome to your new life,’’ smirked Lucifer. ‘’You can thank Michael only for dragging you into this mess. It’s not like you could have known, poor thing.’’

‘’Michael, did I exchange one mess for another?’’ Inquired Adam, conveniently ignoring the fact he was dubbed ‘’the poor thing’’.

Michael gritted his teeth, but answered with the most soothing, joyful tone he could have brought himself to. Even though his reply was given to his fiancé, everybody present in the room knew it was directed to the wayward younger brother.

‘’Don’t listen to Lucifer, darling. He’s got a major attitude problem. His life aim is only creating more chaos.’’

Luce didn’t bother to stop himself from snorting.

‘’Me? Chaos?’’ He repeated in mock-offended voice. There was something theatrical about this scene, but from what Adam had a chance to observe so far, it wasn’t anything unusual for Lucifer. ‘’Michael, the real chaos will start once Raphael and Gabriel show up and you’ll be the one to cause this.’’

The ex-offended bit his lip. Damn the rest of the world, but after the warm welcome from Kelly and Jack and with something that could have been interpreted as acceptance coming from Lucifer in his own twisted, peculiar way, he hoped against hope things would go as smoothly with the rest after these three assured him either with words or with behavior they’re perfectly fine with Michael’s choice of the future spouse. That was better than having no allies at all. Michael must have immediately caught Adam’s gloomy thoughts, as he squeezed his hand briefly yet comfortingly.

‘’I’m not doing that only to see everything burn,’’ he spoke to Lucifer in clearly condemning tone. The atmosphere tensed up again, making Adam wonder whether it was something normal when these two were concerned.

Luce batted his eyelashes in the mockery of innocence, the early perfect picture of the victim of the unjust and unfounded accusations.

‘’Michael, you don’t stop to surprise me recently. Even I didn’t come up with an idea of the fire.’’

‘’For crying out, Lucifer! I was speaking metaphorically of course,’’ snapped the other Lord.

‘’I’m not actually convinced about that, big brother.’’

‘’Lucifer….’’

‘’Mike, please. I’m not five, stop giving me that look.’’

‘’You certainly act like five-year-old from time to time.’’

‘’Here we go again,’’ muttered Adam to himself.

***

Even though spending time with Michael’s family turned out to be much more fun than Adam initially assumed, it was good to finally have some time with his fiancé only. Especially that he had something he didn’t wish to share with anybody but Mike. Lying in bed, he closed his eyes and made the confessed.

‘’I’m afraid, Michael.’’

It sounded rather childish, but he was done being brave and stone-faced. Apparently being rich and privileged didn’t mean lack of problems. Not surprisingly, the Lord instantly got worried.

‘’Why are you afraid, sweetheart?’’ He asked softly.

‘’Today, I’ve been told something that made me afraid. Afraid that I might abuse my power, without even noticing.’’

‘’Adam, you wouldn’t.’’

‘’No, Michael, I could. I have literally no experience in this, I’ve just been thrown on the deep waters and I have to learn by trial and error. I don’t blame you for not teaching me, because it’s not something you could teach me, for you it must be natural, after being brought up this way, but Michael, promise me one thing.’’

‘’Yes, darling?’’

‘’Tell me immediately once you see something is wrong. How should I know where’s the line?’’

‘’Adam, you’re the man with a good heart and conscience. I can promise you I’ll tell you the moment I notice you’re going too far, but I don’t believe this moment will ever occur. You’re by far less inclined to overuse your power than me.’’

‘’But, Mike, you’ve grown with it and I was just handed it one day before prior notice. Aren’t I much more susceptible to overuse it?’’

‘’Darling, I sincerely doubt that with a background like yours you can actually hurt anyone. You’re too empathetic,’’ the fiancé reassured him.

‘’One day the memories will fade…’’

‘’But your compassion will stay on,’’ finished Michael for him. ‘’You’re got understanding and firmness in right proportions. You’ll go far, kid. Go, conquer the world.’’

‘’I can’t wait to finally go to the university.’’

The Lord gave him a small kiss.

‘’If it makes you happy, I can’t wait for it as well. I’m going to such an educated husband’’ he said, enveloping Adam in his arms.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not sparing Adam, definitely.

Recently Adam didn’t have any reasons to complain. He was happily engaged, generally liked, accepted and respected. Sharing his time between Michael, Nick, Jack and studying kept him occupied and gave him a much-coveted sense of purpose. It was good, having a place, a routine, plans for the future, joys of a simple life. Domestic, in a rather unexpected way, but very much welcomed.

Nick, fortunately, was adapting well, given the circumstances. Obviously, the years of enslavement couldn’t have been wiped in a few days, but all things considered, after the initial shock started to gradually wear off, he slowly came back to treating Adam mostly as before, to the great relief of the latter. Jack’s childish innocence and bluntness helped to get him convinced his situation was really getting better and he wouldn’t be treated unfairly anymore. Despite these optimistic news, Adam’s heart ached seeing Nick acting in a very docile and compliant way.

‘’You know, I think your friend Nick is treating Lucifer and Kelly with far greater respect than you have ever shown me,’’ remarked Michael once.

‘’Maybe they deserve it,’’ replied Adam cheekily, completely unruffled. ‘’I have standards, Mike.’’

Nick, however, was predictably much less demanding.

‘’Adam, I can’t believe it. They’re _good_ to me,’’ he confessed to Adam in such a tone as if he was telling a great secret, referring obviously to his new Master and Mistress.

‘’Is this such a surprise?’’ Asked the younger man, raising his brow.

‘’Yes,’’ replied Nick hastily, as if it was obvious. ‘’Why they are good to me? They’re letting me do things I wasn’t allowed to do since I was enslaved. Lady Kelly is just so nice to me, as if I really mattered.’’

‘’You do matter, Nick.’’

‘’She lets me even hold her son and play with him.’’

‘’Jack loves you. Isn’t he a lovely kid? He loves everyone, but you in particular.’’

‘’I never thought I would still hold a child in my arms after I lost my own,’’ admitted Nick. ‘’Adam, how did it all happen? I can’t believe you started all of this.’’

‘’By accident,’’ replied the younger man honestly. ‘’Michael got inspired.’’

‘’I was worried sick about you while you were having lots of fun,’’ said Nick almost accusingly.

‘’It wasn’t all sunshine and roses on my side too, Nick,’’ pointed out Adam defensively. ‘’Back to Jack, I think he knows that you’ve got all these fatherly feelings you never had a chance to show and he just knows it and clings to you.’’

‘’Maybe…’’

‘’You told me to keep my head down because I don’t stand a chance to survive otherwise.’’

‘’And you of course did the opposite.’’

‘’Didn’t turn out so bad, after all.’’

‘’You had a lot of luck, kid. I shouldn’t say this, but I admire you. Taking so much risk, it could have ended tragically for you. I would have never had so much courage.’’

Adam smiled mischievously.

‘’My personal charm made things much easier. Besides, I had to back down a few times too. Thankfully, Michael had always been there for me, ready to give me a helping hand when needed. Also, don’t be worried about Lucifer. It took me a while to start to trust Michael as well.’’

‘’It ended well, considering you two are in relationship. Another thing I can’t believe in. Relationship! How did it happen?’’

‘’Okay, I guess this is a time for a little bit of storytelling.’’ Adam in his usual quick-paced style filed Nick in everything that happened since the day he snuck out to pantry till he realized he fell in love. ‘’Than Michael said he loves me too and wants to marry me, I’ve told him he’s going to regret that, but he wouldn’t relent, so I gave up, we got engaged and he notified his family. That’s basically it,’’ he finished, leaving a wide-eyed friend. ‘’Yeah, I know,’’ he added comfortingly. ‘’I had months to get accustomed to all this madness. A lot to take in one go, right?’’

Nick finally found his words.

‘’I think, kiddo, you’re who started this madness.’’

‘’Yeah, I think Michael will agree with you on this one. He mentioned something similar once or twice…Maybe a few times.’’

‘’He really loves you a lot.’’

Adam grinned playfully.

‘’You have no idea.’’

‘’You basically seduced your Lord and Master.’’

‘’It wasn’t a planned action and he seduced me more than I did him, anyway.’’

‘’Are you happy, Adam? Is anybody giving you any troubles?’’

The younger man shook his head.

‘’Everybody here’s fussing at me, as I was really the Lord. It’s strange, but I can’t say I’m opposing much.’’

All in all, Adam was happy and almost carefree, but every time he got a little too comfortable with his life, something happened. This time he really couldn’t have foreseen it. It came out of the blue. Maybe he should have suspected something, but he dismissed the thought why somebody would like to see him. He pinned it on curiosity, people being interested in the Lord’s fiancé. Later, he wished that had been the point.

It started so innocently. Charlie caught him in the corridor, asking him whether he had a while. He was on his way to the library, but decided he could spare her a few minutes. It took him by the surprise by announcing she knew somebody who wished to get to know him. After the years of being an outcast, he suddenly became quite popular.

‘’He’s a father-in-law of a friend. I’m doing it for her. I mean, asking. Will you meet him?’’

‘’Sure, Charlie,’’ he agreed lightheartedly, even though this request seemed a bit strange. ‘’If you’re asking, then I’ll see him.’’

The red-head grinned.

‘’Perfect. I’ll let him know immediately.’’

Adam waved her goodbye and run to meet his tutor, almost immediately forgetting about the promise he made.

It took a while for John Winchester to make a decision and later make a move, contacting Charlie. It wasn’t an easy call, but he had to do it. He didn’t reveal his true intentions, but despite the obvious confusion the overly enthusiastic red-head agreed to ask Adam whether he would see him. If the boy was really his son, Mary would surely understand his motives. He was doing it for the sake of the family, for her, for their boys. Besides, he was rather curious, even after all these years. No matter how it ended, he had rather fond memories of Kate. She was so young, unexperienced, a breath of fresh air in his life. It wasn’t hard to make an impression on her. She made him feel adored, appreciated, valued and the lack of obligations made the whole fling even more enjoyable. Apparently, what he had deemed a closed chapter for years wasn’t one, so he might have as well get to know his possibly youngest and see how the things would develop. He was worried about Mary’s reaction mostly, as he was pretty sure Adam would undoubtedly be overjoyed to finally meet his father.

Adam was relaxing on the couch, resting after a few hours of playing with Jack, who apparently had a lot of more energy than it should be possible for such a tiny thing. The time he was spending with a kid made him appreciate even more his own Mum’s efforts to take care of him, especially with literally nobody to give her a helping hand. Jack was undeniably cheerful and rather well-behaved, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t handful at the same time. Adam was convinced he was going to have a quiet, uneventful evening when Charlie came to tell the news.

‘’Adam, do you remember the father-in-law of a friend of mine who you agreed to see?’’

It slipped his mind completely, making him need a few seconds to remind himself about the case.

‘’Uhm, yes, Charlie,’’ he nodded slowly. ‘’What about him?’’

‘’He’s already here, waiting for you. I’ve told him maybe he should have appointed a visit beforehand, but he was so persistent. He just arrived,’’ she explained.

Good thing Adam didn’t have any other plans for the afternoon. Okay, he gave his word, albeit rashly, so he would keep it. He might as well go there and see what this man had to tell him, even if for Charlie’s sake.

‘’Sure, I’ll see him in a second,’’ he assured quickly.

The red-hair beamed in glee.

‘’Great. Jo owns me this one.’’

Jo? What kind of name that was? He would ask about it later, as he reluctantly stood up and asked Charlie where exactly the not-so-surprise visitor was awaiting him.

John Winchester never considered himself to be a weak man, but he had to admit that sitting in the Lord’s Milton residence, waiting to see his might-be son, made him increasingly restless. The conversation to come wasn’t going to be an easy one, but it was necessary. Other things aside, the atmosphere of that place was rather overwhelming, reminding John, who was in overall rather pleased with his life and his economical standing, that in the end of the day he was just the commoner, while the Lord was, well, the Lord.

Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long, as the young blond man opened the door and unceremoniously sat on the chair in front of him.

‘’I’ve heard you asked to see me,’’ he announced in the neutral voice.

John stared speechlessly at the boy, unable to shift his gaze away.

The nearly spitting image of the male version of Kate, without doubt. Despite the passage of time, the picture of her appeared in his mind, as vivid as if he saw her yesterday. However, there was something in this young man’s face that didn’t resemble his mother. Katie was a trusting creature, while Adam studied him with a healthy dose of weariness. John didn’t find himself discouraged by this, as it was bound to change as soon as Adam would get the joyful news.

As John looked closer, his heart almost fluttered. The boy had his eyes. They were so blue, just like Sam’s, but this was where the resemblance between Sam and Adam ended. In fact, if the boy resembled any of his brothers, it would have been Dean.

‘’Sir?’’ Asked Adam with a slight hesitance in his voice. ‘’This is getting awkward.’’

The younger’s man voice pulled the Winchester patriarch from his own thoughts.

‘’I’m sorry,’’ he croaked. ‘’You just look so much like her.’’

‘’Like who?’’ Inquired disconcerted ex-slave.

‘’Like Kate. Kate Milligan was your mother, correct?’’

Adam’s eyes went wide.

‘’Uhm, yes, she was. And, excuse me, who are you?’’

That was the hard part, but John firmly believed that after he would say these words, everything later would go smoothly. His was never much of the talker, so he just put is as straightforward as he could, conveniently ignoring fact of how shocking for Adam it would undeniably be.

‘’Adam…It’s Adam, right?’’

The blond nodded affirmatively, so he continued.

‘’My name is John Winchester. Does it ring a bell?’’

‘’Not really. Should it?’’

So he didn’t know. John wasn’t sure whether it made things better or worse.

‘’Maybe. I knew your mother, Adam. Actually, I’m here, because I might be, well, I’m pretty sure I am your father.’’

Wide-eyed blond stared at him without a word after with revelation.

‘’What? How?’’ He eventually managed to utter. ‘’How do you know?’’ He repeated in steadier voice.

John had to admit it was a valid question.

‘’More than twenty years ago I had a romance with Kate Milligan. When we broke up, she was with a child. Besides, you look just like her.’’

John reached his hand to his youngest son, but the latter instinctively reached back, giving the visitor distrustful glare.

‘’That’s not much,’’ noticed the former offender, though John could have said he was moved by this confession.

‘’I found out about you recently,’’ carried on John.

‘’You knew Mum was pregnant,’’ pointed out Adam.

The older man sincerely feared this question, no matter how reasonable it was to expect it.

‘’Let the bygones be bygones,’’ he tried. ‘’I’m perfectly sure you’re my kid and this is all that matters.’’

The ex-slave tilted his head.

‘’Is this really so easy to you?’’

‘’Adam, you’re my son.’’

‘’Don’t call me that,’’ lashed out the younger man. ‘’You were never my father.’’

‘’We can make up for the lost time.’’

‘’How could I know you’re even telling the truth?’’

‘’When I was your age, it wasn’t polite to accuse your elders of lying.’’

Adam shrugged indifferently.

‘’I have a good reason to be suspicious, don’t you think?’’

John felt really tempted to tell him off, but bit his tongue and forced a smile instead.

‘’I’ll tell you about her.’’

The boy’s eyes lit excitedly for the first time.

‘’Go on.’’

‘’When I met Kate, she was twenty one.’’

‘’Young,’’ muttered Adam. ‘’Didn’t it stop you?’’

‘’She was old enough to consent and to know all the possible consequences of doing so,’’ growled John.

‘’Of course,’’ winced Adam. ‘’Old enough to raise a child herself, apparently.’’

‘’It wasn’t my decision to keep you. I’ve told her not to expect any help.’’

‘’That was highly sensitive, _Dad_ ,’’ replied the blond man sarcastically.

‘’It was better not to give her a false hope.’’ John had uneasy feeling that this conversation wasn’t going in the way he wanted it to go. This stroll down memory lane didn’t turn out to be a series of joyful memories and he certainly refused to admit he might have made a mistake or two.

‘’Tell me something about her. If I am to believe you, I need to know you really knew her,’’ demanded Adam.

John cursed inwardly, but he started to talk, forcing himself to retrieve the long-forgotten information from his mind, as Adam listened with thoughtful expression. Soon, the older man found it more tiring than he expected, as, truth being told, he didn’t remember much from this time, never bothering himself much with matters as trite as Kate’s favorite color and such.

‘’Let’s not talk about the past, let’s talk about the present,’’ he proposed after slowly running out of ideas.

Adam looked as if he considered opposing for a while, but in the end he let it go.

‘’Okay,’’ he agreed. ‘’Let’s talk about the present.’’

‘’In the first place, congratulations about your engagement.’’

John reasonably kept to himself that he didn’t expect how Lord Michael to marry another man, let alone someone with a background like Adam, but sitting in this place, the whole thing has become much more real.

‘’Thank you,’’ replied the boy simply.

‘’Lord Michael must be a remarkable man.’’

Adam allowed himself a small smile.

‘’He is. He’s the best.’’

‘’I’m not surprised he chose you.’’

‘’I chose him in the same extent he chose me,’’ commented the ex-slave lightly.

No matter how much John wanted to ask for details and no matter how Adam’s confident attitude annoyed him (the boy should have known what kind of incredible luck he had to be honored like that), he aimed for his goal. He had a family to provide for.

‘’Adam, I’m really impressed by what your fiancé does for us, I do. I’m looking forward to meeting him. I can’t wait for him to get to know our whole family.’’

‘’That was fast,’’ commented the ex-offender.

‘’There’s no use in waiting. Can you imagine how the whole family would benefit from his protection?’’

‘’Protection?’’ Echoed Adam, knitting his brows, scrutinizing John in alarm. ‘’He doesn’t even know you.’’

‘’He will.’’

‘’One meeting isn’t enough. Besides, this is still fresh. Even if, I repeat, even if you’re really my father, I need time to think it over.’’

‘’Boy, you have you introduce your father and brothers to your fiancé.’’

‘’No, I don’t. I can, but I don’t have to.’’

John wanted to scream and demand Adam to do as he was told, but deep inside he knew he wasn’t the one to call the shots here.

‘’I don’t know what you expected. Please don’t tell me you were prepared for a family reunion and me forgetting you not being here for me and Mum, because my memory is intact. You weren’t the part of my life and I don’t see the reason it should change.’’

‘’Adam…’’

‘’You had your chance. Mum said you left her because you didn’t want any troubles in your apple pie life. Now, suddenly I’m no longer in the category of troubles, but I got promoted to your son? Maybe even a rightful heir? Do you even hear how bizarre with sounds?’’

‘’Adam, I’m afraid you had a very one-sided point of view presented.’’

‘’First thing, you didn’t show up before to tell me your story, so you’re the only one to blame here.’’

‘’I’m doing it now.’’

‘’Please don’t make me laugh. This attempt is more than belated. Secondly, Mum never talked bad about you, except this one time, when I’m sure she was speaking the truth, so you’re to blame. She didn’t talk about you except of the times I asked her.’’

‘’You see? If you don’t believe me, believe her words.’’

Adam shook his head slowly.

‘’She tried to protect the image of the father in my head. I was just a kid, I longed to have a dad, like all my friends.’’

‘’Listen, your mum made her choice.’’

Wrong move. If look could kill, John would be lying dead on the marble floor.

‘’Don’t you dare to speak ill about her,’’ hissed Adam, his gaze dark. ‘’She was always there for me. Always. She was the best parent I could have ever asked for.’’

‘’I’m glad to hear that.’’

‘’You can never be on a par to her. You didn’t even try. I don’t know what do you want from me, now, after all these years.’’

‘’You’re walking on thin ice, boy.’’

‘’Do I?’’ Asked Adam wryly.

John’s patience was running thin.

‘’None of your brothers ever used that tone with me and I advise you to quit this insolence this instance,’’ he demanded, no longer bothering with being civil or at least semi-civil. What he said was a half-truth, as Dean indeed was the good son (by good John understood obedient and protective of Sammy), but Sam had that phase of teenage rebellion when he questioned everything. Adam, however, didn’t need to know that. It ended well with Sam, so it didn’t matter what happened before.

Adam didn’t seem perturbed.

‘’I’m afraid you’re not in the position to speak to me like that,’’ he spoke calmly, despite his heart racing uncontrollably. Maybe he really brushed off Michael more than he expected, at least in exterior contacts or maybe he was just too tired to lash out again, his adrenaline level gradually dropping. ‘’After all, you are the one who came to me. Trust me, I’ve been doing perfectly fine,’’ he added, half-consciously fiddling with a ring on his finger, sapphire flashing subtly.

‘’Kate must have taught you manners,’’ frowned John.

‘’She did, but the reality was tough. I had to adapt. Besides, you’re not the best example of those as well.’’

Adam suddenly felt rather tired. It took all the self-restraint not to tremble, as he found himself suddenly weak-kneed when he stood up.

‘’That’s enough for the first time, don’t you think?’’ He asked quietly. ‘’Goodbye, _Dad._ ’’

‘’I’m not giving up,’’ bellowed John, outraged by this blatant rejection.

Adam stopped on his way to door.

‘’Great. See you round than,’’ he said emotionlessly and left, not sparing a further glance at his could-be-father. 

Michael later found his fiancé sitting by the table with face buried in hands, with the open bottle of wine and a half-empty glass were within the arm reach.

‘’Oh, Michael,’’ groaned Adam, looking up at the Lord with tired eyes, allowing himself for the moment of vulnerability. ‘’You were so right. We’re in such a family get together.’’

‘’Is it about Lucifer?’’ Asked confused nobleman. These two seemed to be coming along rather decently. It was more than he expected and he was immensely grateful for this. Luce’s own deeds and experiences, the ones Michael used to condemn not so long ago helped him to see Adam in different light than majority of the nobles.

‘’I wish,’’ muttered the blond. ‘’Michael, there’s a thing. I might have met my father today.’’

This was the last thing Michael expected to hear.

‘’Excuse me, Adam, what?’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally gave you almost Michael-free chapter.  
> Finally we got to this point. ‘’Adam, I’m your father’’. What do you think, how would Winchester family react?


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t like John and I’m not even pretending otherwise.   
> Merry Christmas to whoever are celebrating. To these who aren't- just best wishes.

‘’You heard correctly the first time.’’ The younger man sounded oddly resigned. ‘’I might have met my father today.’’

There were many question popping out in Michael’s head, but only one word escaped his lips.

‘’How?’’

Adam shrugged helplessly.

‘’Before I start, I’m strongly advising you to get yourself a drink too, because this is too much for me to stay sober.’’

‘’Than at least one of us should stay this way. Tell me everything, sunshine,’’ asked Michael gently, cursing inwardly. He should have known something would go terribly astray. It went too smoothly with Lucifer, so the troubles arose from another side. Poor Adam, he looked really distraught. Michael felt a anger boiling somewhere in his chest. Haven’t this beautiful soul been through enough already? This might have been shock, but judging from the scarce piece of information he had about Adam’s father, it was rather the second option. Adam simply wasn’t pleased about meeting with his potential parent.

‘’What is he like?’’ The Lord prodded gently.

‘’I didn’t expect much from the man who abandons pregnant women and runs away from responsibility, but he’s even more awful than I thought. Michael, now I can just hope this is all a big mistake or he just lied to me or anything else that means we aren’t related.’’

‘’Darling, remember I love you no matter of who you share blood with and always will.’’

‘’Thanks, Mike,’’ gulped Adam. ‘’I never doubted you, but if he’s my father, than I’ve got reasons to be ashamed. Maybe it’s better for some things to remain mystery. He’s Mum opposite, so straight-laced and authoritative. He assumed he has the right to demand things from me.’’

Despite the circumstances, the Lord allowed himself a small smile.

‘’That actually explains from whom you inherited this insolence.’’

‘”This isn’t funny, Michael,’’ huffed the former criminal.

‘’I’m not trying to be funny.’’

‘’Good, because you’re terrible at it.’’

‘’I know,’’ muttered upset Adam. ‘’I’m terrible, ill-mannered kid, who’s pushing aside his well-meaning dad. I mean, I dreamt about meeting him when I was a pre-teen. Then, I realized it wasn’t happening. Like never. Now, it was supposed to be like a dream finally coming true, but it’s like a horror. I wish I could wipe this day out of my memory.’’

In that moment the nobleman realized he still didn’t know much.

‘’First, could you finally tell me everything?’’

Without a great enthusiasm, Adam did. ‘’Michael,’’ chocked down in the end. “Michael, please don’t tell anyone yet. I don’t even know if this man is really my father.’’

The younger man was understandably shaken.

‘’I won’t breathe a word,’’ promised the Lord.

‘’At least that. Michael, this is crazy. I was supposed to get to know your family, not mine.’’

‘’Double pack, kid.’’

‘’Don’t call me kid, I’m your fiancé,’’ pointed out Adam.

‘’You’re adorable. Let’s say this man is indeed your father. What does it change?’’

‘’I imagined him the differed way when I was a kid. It’s such a disappointment after the way I almost idolized him. This is indeed a disillusionment when your dreams come true.’’

‘’Adam, don’t worry about him yet. As you’ve said, you don’t know and he doesn’t know as well, right?’’

‘’He might be.’’

‘’Okay. Let’s take it slow, sunshine. Tell me, after that talk, how probable do you think it is?’’

‘’He knows things about my Mum. I know this doesn’t automatically mean he is indeed my biological father, but that’s a lead.’’

Michael’s world was spinning round as well, but he made an effort to think clearly and analyze the whole situation as objectively as he could.

‘’What exactly he knows? Maybe he was just acquainted with her at some point.’’

‘’Maybe, but he gave me details. Like her favorite dress and such. Habits. Hobbies. Knew where she lived. Okay, that one not a detail. Also, he said I look just like her.’’

‘’Do you?’’

‘’Probably? I guess so.’’

‘’Good for you. Anyway, he knows something, but that’s not an evident proof he’s your father.’’

Michael wasn’t certain himself whether it would have been better for this Winchester guy to be Adam’s father or just an imposter.

‘’One way or another, I talked to him once, but I’m sure about one thing. He’s _nothing_ like Mum,’’ confessed the former slave fiercely.

The nobleman hummed in response.

‘’Another example similarities really attract.’’

‘’Are you talking about you and me?’’

‘’Of course I do. Besides, Lucifer and Kelly aren’t a bad example of that either.’’

‘’I don’t know what to do and I still know nothing. Didn’t ask much questions. I can’t believe I’m such an idiot.’’

‘’Darling, don’t be too harsh on yourself. Considering what kind of shock you’ve been through, you still are, it would be strange for you to think completely clearly now.’’

‘’It was a strange conversation.’’

‘’I can imagine,’’ replied Michael patiently.

‘’He said something about brothers. I might have siblings. Strange feeling,’’ mused Adam.

‘’You can get used to it,’’ assured the Lord.

‘’Is there any kind of high-class protocol for meeting your could-be-father for the first time?’’

‘’There’s a protocol for pretty much everything, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there would be for this as well.’’

Adam looked up at his fiancé with tear-filled eyes.

‘’What’s wrong with me? I probably was just found my second parent. My only living parent. I should be jumping from joy.’’

Michael pressed lips to his forehead.

‘’Parents sometimes disappoint us. You have every reason to be mad at this man, supposing he indeed is your father. If he isn’t than you have it too, for him harassing you in order to get his own gains.’’

‘’He was mean to me,’’ sniffled the younger man dolefully. ‘’This is the disaster, Mike.’’ The Lord brushed a strand from his forehead comfortingly. ‘’This is the disaster.’’

The Lord silently pulled him into the tight embrace, not for the first time cursing inwardly his inability to offer comfort to the person he loved the most.

***

Castiel was the first to come. His reunion with Michael and Lucifer was as awkward as expected, but the one with Jack and Kelly much more heartfelt. He gave Adam his sincere congratulations, going as close to effusive as could be, explaining that he had received letters both from Michael and Anna, but to see was to believe and nothing could have beaten his joy from seeing the blond free and well.

‘’It looks like we’ll be seeing each other more often now,’’ replied Adam, winking playfully.

‘’Yes? Why?’’ Asked suddenly interested Cas, sending the other man curious look.

‘’Because we’re going to be family,’’ explained the ex-slave, proudly showing off the ring.

‘’Oh, yes, you’re talking about that,’’ muttered Castiel, clearly much less enthusiastic about the upcoming wedding than with the fact Adam was free. The ex-slave was to find out in the near future that Cas way of thinking differed from his own. However, this shouldn’t have been any surprise, considering how Michael and Lucifer were so different and alike in the same way. Apparently Milton clan consisted of outstanding members, maybe except Anna. 

Castiel’s arrival distracted him for a while, but Adam knew that sooner or later he had to make a move in his could-be father case. Seeing how unsure and torn he was about the whole thing, Michael realized he just couldn’t stay away and finally gave his fiancé a piece of advice.

‘’Adam, talk to him. Not for his sake. For yours.’’

‘’You’re probably right,’’ muttered the younger man, melting into Lords’s warmth. Michael only said aloud was should have been obvious for Adam. At least that way he would know and not knowing, was worse than any possible outcome. Unfortunately, it didn’t make making a move any easier, so he almost welcomed it when John contacted him out of his own accord. This time, an encounter was far less emotional, with Adam keeping his distance but agreeing to discreetly make a test and have a clear results, offer taken by John with undeniable joy. At least in this field there shouldn’t be any problems, even though the whole situation seemed like a huge problem to Adam. For the time being, he vowed not to get too much involved, just in case there results would turn out negative. He couldn’t afford to accept John as his dad if the man wasn’t him. Maybe if John was the other man, he would have accepted Adam as his adoptive son blood ties or not, but something told Adam this wasn’t the case, because John simply wasn’t that type. To put it the other way, John wasn’t Nick.

Wasn’t it ironical, with John being a respected citizen and Nick being a convicted criminal, Nick was the one to behave much more decently towards Adam, to whom he owned nothing, but his big heart refused to leave a troubled, rebellious young man with a desperate need of a helping hand to manage on his own in the hostile environment. There was no justice in this world, with Nick being in far worse situation than John, poor Nick, whose only fault was losing his entire family, which left him so grief-driven to make a desperate action. His life wasn’t still exactly good, not even after Adam’s intervention, though the ex-slave sincerely believed or at least hoped this would change with time. The precedent has been set, after all, as he knew the best. Seeing Nick free was one of the things he yearned to happen the most in the world.

The test results came back positive and despite his own doubts, John was simply overjoyed, while Adam found himself surprisingly numb. Not enthusiastic, not shedding tears because of the heartfelt family reunion, but also not especially upset. Just accepting. At least he found out, long time after he lost hope to ever meet his father, but he had yet to decide whether it would change anything in his life. Okay, there might have been one matter that made him inclined to push through. His brothers. Half-brothers to be exact. Adam seriously didn’t expect them to greet him with open hands and was rather worried they would act like two younger copies of their father, trying to use him, manipulate him more or less subtly for their own benefit, but he was curious about them.

Michael assured him that no matter what would happen, he would have his back, but Adam knew it was his problem to solve. Each action had consequences, so he had to tread carefully, no matter how much he wanted to give up to his impulses.

Mum, sweet, kind, always patient and understanding Mum, what would she do if she lived to see that? Would she try to convince him to give John a chance or would she rather act in much more human way and make it very clear to her ex-lover that she didn’t want him meddling in her life after all these years of absence? Or maybe she would be angry at him, but in the same time would tell Adam to at least try to form a bond, because John was his father, the only father he had, despite all the circumstances. Did she miss him after he left her so abruptly, all to herself? It was always rather obvious to Adam that he wasn’t a planned child, but hearing this from John didn’t make it any better. He told John his story, but predictably, the older man didn’t find his fault in what happened to his youngest son.

‘’What matters, it all ended well, right?’’ He asked without any bit of subtlety. ‘’I can’t wait for you to finally introduce me to Lord Michael.’’

John was absolutely insistent on Adam granting him favors, but his overall attitude made it really difficult for the ex-slave to do so or even consider that. What hurt the most was that John wasn’t exactly interested in forming a bond or having family interactions (Adam wouldn’t be happy about that too, it was way too late for that), but treated his long-lost son as the means to the ends. There seemed to be no good solutions to break this stalemate.

Adam was so angry at himself for this indecisiveness, for not being able to make a move. Stupid family ties. Maybe not growing up in Winchester family was a blessing in disguise, because he seriously didn’t know how he would stand this man and his authoritarian attitude on daily basis. Michael was right, by once, not long after they met, calling Adam a free spirit. That was exactly what he was, bonding only by choice. Yes, it would have been much easier financially for John to acknowledge him when Mum was still alive and support them, but Adam couldn’t help but rejoice he wasn’t round that time. At least John didn’t manage to ruin this time for him. He almost cried in frustration. This wasn’t how his family reunion was supposed to look like, but the most rational part of his pointed out that this wasn’t the first time he learnt how cruel the life could be and probably not the last.

***

John was thinking long and hard how to tell his family about Adam to lessen the shock and paint the news as the happy ones. In the end, he decided to confess to Mary in the first place. He wasn’t certain whether he could take three pairs of eyes looking at him with disbelief and question. He didn’t suspect Mary to be overjoyed about the revelation, but she couldn’t be angry at him because of the past mistake, right? It was over two decades ago, for crying out loud. Wasn’t he a devoted husband and father since then? He would explain everything to her, with a special emphasize od the benefits that were sure to come once Adam would come to senses and quit with idiotic hesitant behavior. This brat seriously started to annoy him. If John was there to raise him years ago he wouldn’t even dream of acting this way. Of course Kate was too soft with the boy. Good thing at least he could be useful.

Waiting for the right moment to tell Mary was torture. His marital life was recently close to bliss, as they didn’t have any big problems after their kids started their own families. They were only two of them, finally free to spend time as the couple, with no kids to raise, with nothing except their respective works maybe to disturb their peace. John wanted to delay the moment of confession in order not to ruin their domesticity, but soon he realized there wouldn’t be any good time for this kind of talk. Finally, he got himself together and announced his wife he had some big news to share, doing his best to sound confident and calm about it. Mary, though taken by surprise, listened to him with eerie calm, not interrupting even once, but her gaze hardened considerably with every sentence spoken by her husband.

‘’I can’t believe you cheated on me John Winchester!’’ She blew up after John finished his story.

‘’Mary, please, I beg you, forgive me. I loved only you, I swear. I met that woman a couple of times, it was nothing,’’ he hurried to explain himself, but Mary wasn’t to be consoled so easily.

‘’Nothing? Do you take me for a fool, John? I shall believe that your encounters were so innocent that they ended with a child?’’

‘’It was a mistake, but it was nothing serious between us, really,’’ assured John defensively, but with no avail, as Mary was by this time an epitome of righteous fury.

‘’You cheated on me and that’s one thing, but you left her alone with a child. A child, John! A child that was innocent. Would you have left Sam and Dean as well?’’

‘’Of course not, Mary, that was completely different thing, I swear. I left them because of you and our kids, because I love you.’’

‘’I’m done with you pathetic excuses. This boy suffering is entirely your fault, John, because you’re the one who screwed this up. I would have taken him in after his mother died, I would have raised him as my own, if only I had knew before.’’

John tried the other approach.

‘’Mary, but what would people say?’’

‘’Really, John, this is what you care about? You abandoned your own flesh and blood and you don’t even have decency to feel bad about it. l don’t even want to imagine how lonely and scared this boy must have been when he realized he was all alone in this word.’’

‘’Mary, please…’’ He spoke almost plaintively.

‘’Don’t you ‘’Mary me,’’ John Winchester! I can’t believe I married you. I can’t believe I loved the man who abandoned his own child. You disgust me. Get out of my sight.’’

‘’Mary, you’re in shock, please think about it…’’

‘’Get out of my sight, now!’’ She yelled, her previous composure completely gone.

‘’Mary….’’ He repeated. He knew that Mary could react emotionally, but he thought that it would the existence of Adam that would rile her up, not what happened to the boy. He kept this part brief, but apparently it was what caused the most heated reaction. Mary Winchester was a formidable woman; John had more than one occasion to find out about that when she was still Mary Campbell, but it was easy to forget about it in the domestic life they shared filled with apple pie, small rituals and quiet expectation for grandchildren.

‘’Get the fuck out, now! I can’t believe I thought I know you, I thought you were a good person. You’re no longer welcome in this house. I can’t stand the thought about staying under the same roof with you. Out!’’ She demanded with a fire he hadn’t seen for years. Defeated in the face of such an ire, John was left with no other choice but to do as was told.

‘’Can I at least get my things?’’

‘’I’ll sent you everything you may need,’’ informed him Mary coldly.

‘’Where should I go?’’

‘’That’s not my problem. Maybe now you’ll think about how your own son must have felt after losing his home.’’

‘’I couldn’t have known about that.’’

‘’You should have.’’

‘’I’ll move in to Dean,’’ said John, seeing arguing was pointless.

Mary shot him last icy glare.

‘’Go. I’m too angry to talk to you now. Your list of wrongdoings is remarkably long and I don’t even know we’ve got anything more to talk about. Go, just go.’’

Defeated mechanic grabbed his jacket and took a course for Dean’s place. This was going to be a long night and so far nearly nothing went as planned.

***

Enochia might have been a beautiful place, but Raphael, travelling through the country, was too engrossed in her own glum thoughts to marvel at the wonders of nature and architecture. She had a long way behind her and quite more to go, but it was worth it. She owed it to Michael. Something was extremely wrong with the steps her eldest brother made and what drove her scientific mind crazy, she didn’t know what caused this kind of odd behavior. She needed to go, to see Michael in person, to prevent the disaster before it was too late.

Her whole adult life Raphael firmly believed that slaves should be useful, repaying their debts by hard work, atoning for the evil they made. She enforced this rule in her own household, running it with iron fist, thanks to what everything went smoothly. She had every reason to believe Michael shared with opinion as well, not even a single thought crossing her mind that he might behave in a different way. In the meantime, however, the very disturbing news about his actions reached her ears and then she received that fateful latter with Michael informing her about his engagement, the one that almost brought tears to her eyes. At first she didn’t believe in what happened, rereading it over and over, suspecting a forgery, but the handwriting and the style were so familiar that it must have been written by Michael’s hand. Still, she refused to believe that her always level-headed elder brother allowed himself to be succumbed in this kind of madness. She didn’t understand a thing, but she was a strong woman. She would face the threat and bring order back to Milton’s household. She would save her brother and his honor. She didn’t know how yet, but was absolutely, irreversibly certain about one thing. This Adam Milligan, whoever he was, would come to sorely regret the day he dared to lay eyes on Michael.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year to all of you. Let us wish it'll be better than 2020.  
> I seriously never expected this fic to become so long. I had some bullet points right from the start, but I didn't suspect coming to them would take so much time and text :) However, we're slowly getting to the end. I think one of the most difficult things in writing, especially longfics, is the knowledge when to write a final dot. I hope I won't disappoint you :)  
> Happy New Year, one more time.

‘’Hi, big bro, you look even gloomier than usual. What troubles you in this beautiful morning?’’ Asked Lucifer lightheartedly.

Michael sent him a resigned glare in response.

‘’Raphael has written to inform me she’ll be here in a few days. I know we’ve going to have quite a mayhem, but no matter how long I’ve been trying to get prepared for that, I’m still not ready,’’ he explained, squeezing a letter in his hand.

Luce shrugged noncommittedly.

‘’No matter how hard it’s for you to believe in in, I’m by your side. If you doubt my noble intentions, you may take it my way to piss off Raphael.’’

The elder brother almost rolled his eyes.

‘’Lucifer, I’ve been done with you quite often in the past, but I have to admit, you haven’t done anything controversial recently while I certainly did and to make matters worse, I regret nothing and I have all the intents to carry on with my actions.’’

Luce tilted his head, grinning cheekily.

‘’Is this a weird way of saying ‘’Let’s be family again?’’’’

‘’Do you want to be a family again?’’ Asked Michael in a tired tone.

‘’Yes,’’ admitted the blond man.

‘’Than it is.’’

‘’Good. You see how easy it was?’’

Michael bit his lip, refraining himself with the whole self-restraint from saying something he could regret later. He silently hoped for the events to go relatively smoothly for Adam’s sake, even if he knew the chances were slim. Even considering that Raphael wasn’t straightforward on how upsetting for her were his marital plans, he knew his sister too well not to read between the lines.

Adam appeared in his life out of the blue and no matter what Michael tried to tell himself otherwise, he was never willing to let him go. He loved Adam’s bright eyes, Adam’s slender hands, warm skin, Adam’s smile and wry sense of humor too much. The moment he assumed the difficulties were over and they would carry on with their happiness and bliss, the new hardships appeared on the way.

He didn’t talk much about it with the fiancé, but Adam knew enough and probably suspected the rest anyway.

‘’You look distressed, darling. What’s bothering you?’’ The Lord once asked.

‘’This family thing,’’ replied the former slave shortly.

‘’Family…Yours or mine?’’

Adam smiled faintly.

‘’Can I say both options are correct?’’

‘’Everything will be fine,’’ assured Michael, not certain whether he was trying to convince Adam or himself.

The former slave coped with his own family mess in the similar way. Now really wanting to bother Michael more with the topic and desperate for a somehow objective point of view, Adam invited Nick in and confided in him, who commented something about the younger man having luck to unexpected events in his life.

‘’For ten years I lived a mundane, lonely line,’’ replied Adam. ‘’Then, it was like a snowball.’’

He told Nick everything, who just nodded with understatement listening carefully to the monologue.

‘’John Winchester, yes?’’ He made sure when the ex-slave finally completed his confession. ‘’Actually, Adam, I can tell you something that might interest you,’’ he announced after the younger man nodded. ‘’I met your old man, once, not long before I was enslaved.’’

‘’Did you? C’mon, Nick, tell me everything.’’ Adam instantly jumped at the chance to get a different point of view.

‘’Not sure I’ve got much to tell you. We didn’t talk much that night. Just a two strangers sharing some courtesy talks.’’

The ex-offender looked a bit disappointed but pushed further relentlessly.

‘’C’mon, tell me something. There must be something you can share with me. How did it happen in the first place?’’

‘’A dinner at our, apparently, mutual acquaintances. Hard to believe I used to be a guest in the proper household, but it’s a truth. Seems like a lifetime ago.’’

‘’What did you think of him then?’’

‘’Like my gut feeling?’’

‘’Yes, that exactly.’’

‘’Smiling, jovial, straightforward, but in the same time not really talkative. Nothing wrong with those, but he seemed to me…I don’t know?’’ Nick hesitated for a brief moment, looking for the right word. ‘’Fake? Under this façade, as if he didn’t feel comfortable with that fancy dinner. One thing I can tell, he certainly loved his wife. They had that vibes of a perfectly-matched couple. Sorry, Adam, didn’t mean to upset you with the last one.’’

‘’Nah, don’t worry, Nick, you’re only confirming my suspicions. Besides, I’ve been left in the dark for so long, now I welcome every truth, no matter how painful it seems to be.’’

‘’You’re a tough one, Adam.’’

‘’I wish I had less reasons to be tough. Besides, he makes me feels as if I was again that eight year old who spilled berry juice over Mum’s best dress, except that time I was genuinely sorry. He makes me doubt myself, but you’re the best person to give me some advice on this mess.’’

‘’Me?’’ Echoed the older man in the sheer disbelief. ‘’Adam, I certainly have no qualifications.’’

‘’Nick, you’re the closest thing I have to a father,’’ confessed Adam.

Nick looked seriously touched by this unexpected announcement.

‘’I’m afraid, kiddo, you’re doing great without me,’’ he replied in the strange voice.

‘’I’ve seen you with Jack. It’s so natural, how you hold him, how you feed him, play with him…You’re an awesome dad material. Besides, you virtually adopted me.’’

‘’Did I? I didn’t notice.’’

‘’The evidence of how natural it was. You just couldn’t stop himself.’’

‘’Did I never occur to you, Adam, that you looked like somebody in desperate need of the father figure?’’

‘’To be honest, not really. I was used to being alone.’’

‘’This is exactly why you needed someone to support you,’’ explained Nick patiently.

‘’I really appreciate all you did for me, I do, even though I didn’t always listen to you,’’ admitted Adam.

The other man smiled.

‘’I would say you never followed my advice.’’

‘’Now I can actually use one.’’

‘’My experience in fatherhood is limited to babies. I know nothing about the distraught teens.’’

‘’I’m not a teen.’’

‘’Close enough. One way or another, Adam, I can tell you one thing. You can’t just appear out of blue in one’s life and expect to have a relationship just because you share blood. Bonding means time, learning how to be a family.’’

‘’This is it, Nick. He just appeared without any notice only to tell me he’s my father and this is good enough reason for me to do what he wants. I felt, well, objectified.’’

‘’Every father wants the best for his child. We sometimes fail, but always keep trying. From what you told, I have doubts whether John is thinking about what’s the best for you. However, there’s a thing. You might be biased. Don’t worry, everybody would be in your situation. Maybe just listen to him some more and then decide.’’

Adam furrowed his brow.

‘’Are you telling me to give him a second chance?’’

‘’You gave me a second chance,’’ Nick reminded him.

‘’To you I can relate,’’ pointed out the ex-offender.

‘’He’s your father. Maybe you can relate to him more than you think.’’

‘’Do you think I’m like him? So…confident?’’ Asked Adam in such a tone as if he was dreading the response. Nick smiled at him kindly.

‘’It’s not necessarily a bad thing, apparently, since it brought you where you are now. You just act so natural here. You fit in.’’

Adam shook his head.

‘’Do I? I have doubts. Also, I’ve heard the other slaves are terribly jealous. I feel like being torn between two words.’’

‘’They’ll accept you, with time. Don’t worry about that.’’

‘’Who are you referring to? Slaves or nobles?’’

‘’Both. Adam, of course the slaves are jealous, what you achieved is beyond everyone’s wildest dreams.’’

‘’I don’t see it as achievement. I just fell in love. It happens.’’

‘’He loves you back.’’

‘’Thanks, Nick, for not believing I’m worth it.’’

‘’Hey, it’s not what I meant.’’

‘’Nah, of course,’’ teased him Adam. ‘’You didn’t believe me from the start.’’

‘’I can’t tell your story is a typical one.’’

‘’A Lord falling for a mouthy slave and dragging him through half of the country to ask the King to free him? A complete cliché.’’

‘’Good to know you sense of humor is intact. I wish I had your confidence.’’

‘’Truth being told, I had doubts as well. I still do. Not about Michael, but about whether his family will accept me or whether he would have problems because of me…But I love him more than anybody. I can’t imagine losing him. When I first realized I’m in love, I’ve been terrified, terrified because I was sure he would never ever consider a relationship, let alone marriage.’’

‘’Marriage is at the end of every good fairytale, so I can tell there is something cliché in your story.’’

‘’Hey, there is also an evil stepmother in mine.’’

‘’Did you even met her?’’

‘’Not yet, but one thing I’m sure about is that she can’t be pleased with my existence.’’

‘’Never assume, Adam, cause assumptions may mislead you terribly.’’

‘’What shall I do, then?’’

‘’Do you know why this decision it’s so hard to make? Because it’s your call, not anybody’s else and second thing, there seems not to be a good way to choose.’’

Adam huffed in annoyance.

‘’Exactly. It seems like no matter what I would do, it will end in disaster.’’

‘’Disaster is such a strong word. Maybe it won’t be that bad. C’mon, kid, you’re the one who gave me a reason to live, who gave me hope.’’

‘’Your case was easy. My life was as simple as it could be for the past ten years and then I met Michael.’’

‘’Do you regret it?’’

‘’Never,’’ assured the soon-to-be-Lord vehemently and excused himself for the moment for the moment, leaving Nick all alone. The older man felt much more comfortable with his surroundings and inevitable interactions with Lords and the Lady than in the beginning, nevertheless sitting on the couch in the Lord Michael’s personal rooms was rather overwhelming, especially as Michael himself just entered. Nick automatically rose to his feet instantly and bowed respectfully.

‘’Did Adam let you in?’’ Asked the Lord, frowning slightly.

‘’Yes, Master,’’ replied Nick dutifully, relieved Master didn’t instantly assume the worst. ‘’He wanted to talk about his father.’’

‘’Oh, yes, that’s understandable,’’ replied Michael with concern. ‘’I glad he has someone to talk to. I know had hard is this revelation on him.’’

‘’Indeed, Master.’’

The Lord actually smiled.

‘’Also, I’ve been told Jack is very fond of you.’’

‘’Young Master Jack is indeed an exceptional child.’’

Master Michael practically beamed.

‘’Yes, he is,’’ he confirmed. ‘’He’s lucky to have so many devoted people around him,’’ he said before changing the subject abruptly. ‘’When Adam comes back, tell him I’m in my study.’’

‘’Yes, Master.’’

Michael headed to the study, wondering what had just happened. He had a slave in his personal quarters, his sanctuary, his shelter, his sacred ground and he was surprisingly fine with it solely because it made Adam happy. His life had indeed took a unexpected course and he was completely, perfectly happy about it.

***

Sam was walking down the street, in desperate attempt to clear his head. He tried to get his thoughts together, but something told him he would need much more than just a stroll to get over the news. The realization was terrifying. He should have known something like that would happen. His life has been too good, too calm recently; something ruining the peace had to happen. A secret from past coming to the light.

It was so much more than just ruining his good mood; he felt like a hypocrite thinking only about himself, but he was just human. He felt almost guilty, even though he knew there was no guilt in what happened, but it didn’t make it any easier.

He would never forget that evening, the night he found out he had a second brother. He and Sarah just happened to be at Dean’s place in that moment, so they found out with Dean and Jo, Dad revealing one shocking news after another. For the moment he was worried about Jo’s pregnancy, she was always emotional one and John’s story had undoubtedly taken quite a toll on her. Actually, it made quite an impression on everybody, they just reacted in the different way. In the end John stayed with Dean, even though Jo seemed hesitant about it. Sam was silently glad she didn’t protest loudly, even though she must have done it for Dean, not for John. Sam didn’t want to talk to his father anytime soon, let alone stay under the same roof with him and luckily Sarah understood him perfectly. He always knew he married her for a reason. She was his very own blessing, appearing on his way when he thought after losing Jess he would never be happy again, never love another woman.

Now, however, he had to think about his parents’ marriage. He wondered how long this affair lasted, how long Dad had been lying to Mum without a blink. He had to check how old was he in that time and try to remember whether something was different back then. Maybe he should ask Dean as well, but his older brother might be not be fully objective. On the other hand, who was?

One way or another, they were kids who just loved their father, who associated him with safety. Funny, if someone was to ask Sam a month ago what he thought about his parents’ marriage, he would answer they were a perfect couple without a moment of hesitance. Their marriage seemed rock-solid to him, almost an epitome of a perfect union, based on love, understanding and trust. He could have sworn despite the flow of time Dad simply adored Mum.

He and Dean could have just missed some signs something changed, but have Mum had a reason to suspect anything? Maybe yes, with her unusually perceptive mind, but she might have deluded herself into that perfect family image as well, or maybe the thought about her being cheated on never crossed her mind. Maybe Dad had just reached perfection in hiding his deeds, possibly justifying himself with working late or some kind of other cliché. Maybe she was too tired, too busy with her own work and raising two kids? Sam had to admit they were rather handful, so her attention might have easily been swayed away to the different direction. There was always a possibility she just blamed something malfunctioning in their marriage onto one of the normal crisis every couple had, even such a seemingly perfect one or Dad tried to make it up to her, doing his best to act like a good husband, either as the result of guilty conscience or a way to cover-up his infidelity. Maybe both of those.

It was hard to believe Dad wasn’t even curious about his third offspring. Sam couldn’t imagine just conveniently ignoring the fact he got somebody pregnant and coming back to his old life as if nothing happened. More, he had that sickening feeling it wasn’t about protecting Adam because of some ill-founded conviction the boy would be better with his mum only.

Other matters aside, after Adam’s mum died, there was nothing that basically stopped John from taking Adam in. It wouldn’t have been even an act of the goodwill. It should have been a perfectly normal, obvious move in such a situation. Adam was his son, just like Dean or Sam himself. It was nearly unimaginable John could have treated them so differently. Definitely not because of finances; they certainly could have afforded a third child and it wasn’t even much of the struggle, even if they weren’t as well-off as now.

Sam wasn’t sure how would he react. Dean, of course, would accept Adam without much fuss, his big bro instincts kicking in sooner or later. He, on the other hand, didn’t know what would he do. He tried to remind himself the ways he used to think when he was younger, but with no avail. It was hard to tell, whether the joy from not being a baby of the family anymore, automatic promotion to middle child would prevail or rather he would be jealous about his position of the youngest and due to this a bit spoilt. Besides, it would have been different if Adam was a baby; he would have got some time during expecting to get used to the thought of having another sibling and Adam would have been just raised as the part of the family. As the preteen it would have be immensely hard for Adam just to settle in and accept he had a different home, with different dynamics and the different set of rules. Sam still loved his father, no matter how awfully he acted, but he was well aware John Winchester wasn’t the best person to deal with traumatized boy, even if, or maybe especially because, said boy was his own child. Paradoxically, Mary would be much better person to help Adam overcome his problems, but would she have managed such a responsibility? After all, Adam would be a constant reminder of John cheating on her and she was only human. It might have been extremely difficult to her, no matter how much she would have tried.

Annoyance, frustration, anger, confusion. Sam didn’t know what to think or how he felt anymore, hundreds of thoughts circling in his head. He knew he was Dad’s favorite, even though Dean did his best to be a good son. There was no justice in this world. He loved Dad, despite all their quarrels and fights, so it was nearly imaginable to accept Dad wasn’t exactly who he took him for. At least now the situation was relatively clear, despite the seemingly endless list of questions. Sam would no longer be mistaken about his Dad. Better late than never. It wasn’t his place to forget or forgive, but there would always be stains on Dad’s image. He was critical about Dad’s actions many times, disagreed with him quite often, but never had any reason to doubt Dad tried to be a good father. Now, he didn’t know what was true and what was an illusion anymore.

***

‘’Another Winchester visiting me. To what do I owe this pleasure?’’

For all the times Sam tried to imagine his half-brother, this wasn’t what he expected. Truth being told, he didn’t know what to expect. His ideas varied from the street-wise ruffian to the pompous Lord. From the first glance it was certain Adam was certainly none of that things. Sam took a deep breath, desperate not make a decent first impression.

‘’Okay, so I assume you know I’m your half-brother. My name’s Sam. Dad just was kind enough to enlighten me about yours existence and I here because…’’

Why he was there? It was obvious for him that he should be there, but somehow explaining this aloud was almost impossible.

‘’You were curious,’’ more stated than asked Adam, rescuing the older man from this oppression.

Sam smiled almost sheepishly.

‘’Who wouldn’t be? Besides, I couldn’t just pretend nothing happened.’’

‘’Perfect. Let’s just say I’m actually glad to see you, to be honest, I half-expected this visit. Also, I distinctly recall John saying something about ,,brothers’’, plural form.’’

‘’I’m the younger one. Dean’s the big bro. He’s awesome,’’ explained Sam quickly.

‘’It looks like two of you are close,’’ commented Adam.

‘’Very.’’

‘’Good for you, than,’’ commented the former slave flatly. ‘’He didn’t want to come?’’

‘’I think he’s not ready for it. Dad’s staying with him now, actually. Mum threw him out after she learnt he abandoned you.’’

The last sentence certainly made an impression on the younger man.

‘’Really?’’ He asked for a confirmation.

‘’She was furious.’’

‘’Apparently Dean isn’t.’’

‘’Dean is torn,’’ explained Sam patiently. ‘’His whole life he viewed Dad as a hero, he admired him, he still does and then suddenly the ugly truth came out. Dean needs more time to think it over, process it and set his priorities right. It’s hard to find out everything you believed your whole life was the lie.’’

Adam rolled his eyes.

‘’He’s an adult. I wasn’t given time to process many things in my life, so tell him to quit this charade.’’

‘’And pick a side?’’

‘’You’re the one to say that. Listen, I’m not a charity case. If you’re here because of some ill-understood guilt that prompts you to fix yours, I mean, righting out father’s wrongs and so, than just drop it.’’

‘’It’s not like that. I’d really would like to get to know you better, Adam. I think you would get along with Grandpa Henry.’’

‘’John’s father?’’

‘’Yes.’’

‘’Hmm,’’ muttered Adam noncommittedly, before coming back to the subject. ‘’Tell Dean it’s okay. It wouldn’t be fair for him to pick. He should take his father and forget about me. I understand that.’’

‘’Adam, it’s not like that. I know what I was told by Dad and while I’m sure he didn’t lie outright, I’m also sure he’s terribly subjective. I want to get to know you better.’’

‘’Know me? Seriously? Maybe even be a family?’’ The skepticism was dripping from the younger man’s voice, but Sam wasn’t the one to be discouraged easily.

‘’I know you have every reason to be cautious, but with time, why not?’’

‘’You might think I am young and callow, but I know enough. I’m not letting anybody manipulate me. I’m not the puppet on the strings,’’ huffed Adam with sudden hostility.

‘’Why do you think I want to manipulate you?’’ Asked genuinely shell-shocked Sam.

‘’Well, our beloved Daddy did try,’’ explained the former slave matter-of-factly.

‘’Adam,’’ choked on the older brother. ‘’I’m sorry about what he did.’’

‘’I’m not a pity party,’’ replied the blond harshly, but softened after a while. ‘’He’s reasoning is perfectly logical. Everybody knows Michael has all the means to the do things. It’s better to have his as ally.’’

‘’I’m certain infuriating his fiancé won’t result in getting into his good graces.’’

‘’I guess not. Listen, I’m not running to Michael with every single thing. I’m an adult, I’ve had to become one long time ago. I can take care of myself.’’

‘’Easy, Adam. I’m just saying you two have to talk to each other. People in the relationship tend to do that a lot.’’

‘’Okay,’’ replied somewhat ashamed by his aggressive reaction younger man. ‘’I tend to be suspicious quite often.’’

‘’I guess you have a good reason to. I’m very sorry for that. I wish I had known earlier.’’

Adam looked at him interrogatively.

‘’I don’t blame you, Sam. I don’t blame you,’’ he repeated. ‘’I just don’t know if there’s something we should talk about.’’

At least after these words Sam knew he wasn’t the only one who felt terribly uncomfortable with the whole situation.

‘’Give me a chance,’’ he asked.

The former offender nodded.

‘’Okay, let’s talk.’’


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to all of you in the new year :)

‘’I’ve heard you had a visitor today. Was it your father again?’’ Asked Michael, looking at his fiancé with concern. He was genuinely worried, but taking care of Adam’s affairs also conveniently helped to took his mind from his own, what was giving him a strange kind of respite.

‘’No, not this time, but you’re close. It was my brother, Sam,’’ explained the younger man softly. ‘’It was awkward.’’

‘’I can imagine. How did it go? Is he much like John? Do you even want to keep in touch with him?’’ The Lord had myriads of question.

‘’I’m not a hypocrite,’’ declared Adam with a small smile, but sadness flooded his eyes. ‘’Sam isn’t responsible for having a father like that just as I’m not. This doesn’t mean I’m going to sob with joy a have a brother, but he’s not that terrible. We actually talked for the while like two civilized people. He doesn’t exactly approve John’s actions.’’

‘’That sounds good. Has John came to senses?’’

‘’From what I found out, not really. He’s not even close to remorseful.’’

‘’I’m sorry, kid,’’ said the brunette comfortingly.

‘’Now it least I know,’’ whispered Adam, more to himself than to Michael, who was listening patiently. ‘’Until now I could have deluded myself, but I no longer can. It was better not knowing.’’

‘’Adam, do you want him to be your father?’’ Inquired the nobleman seriously.

‘’Of course not,’’ replied the former slave, surprising himself with the fact that it was so obvious his answer was almost automatic.

‘’Than he isn’t,’’ declared the Lord simply, sending his fiancé the reassuring smile.

The younger man rolled his eyes.

‘’I don’t think that works this way, Michael.’’

The nobleman was insistent.

‘’It does. There needs to be more than biology to it. He renounced the rights to be your father the moment he left your Mum.’’

‘’Hmm,’’ muttered the blond man thoughtfully. ‘’Maybe…I don’t know.’’

‘’Adam, let’s get it straight. Do you want him to be part of your life?’’

The former offender sighed heavily.

‘’I know it’s terrible and I’m the bad son, but no. Finding a long-lost parent shouldn’t be a pitfall.’’

‘’You are not the bad son, he’s the bad parent,’’ declared Michael firmly. ‘’Look, you are so reasonable when it comes to my family and when it comes to yours, emotions cloud your judgment.’’

‘’It’s just…I don’t know…Mum loved him, so he couldn’t have been that bad.’’

The Lord did his best to be as delicate as he could be.

‘’We all make mistakes, Ads, sunshine. Sorry to break it to you, but I’m afraid your Mum might have made one in choosing the wrong man.’’

‘’I just hope picking a wrong partner isn’t hereditary,’’ muttered Adam, receiving the outraged protest in return. ‘’I don’t know how to feel about him. I don’t like him, every single cell of my body screams to me not to trust him, but there’s that part of me that tells me that I’m supposed to give him a chance only because he’s my father. This is madness and I hate it.’’

‘’Adam, you’ll do what you decide, but please don’t let this call to be guilt-ridden. You’re not the one who plays by the rules, remember?’’

Something flashed in blue eyes.

‘’Oh, I do. You’re right, of course you are, but this doesn’t make anything better, you know?’’

‘’Trust me, I do. Sunshine, it’s you who had spent over twenty years on your own when he was busy with his perfect life or the illusion of it. It’s hard to suddenly start to feel emotional attachment to the man who is basically a stranger and what’s worse, he refuses to acknowledge he’s the one who messed up here. I think if he showed up contrite and seeing the error of his ways, you’d be more willing to let him make amends with you.’’

Michael had a point. Adam would be willing to let go, to forgive, to let the past be the past, maybe to let his father be a part of his life, but it was the man’s haughty attitude that hurt the most. Adam didn’t expect the litany of apologies and justifications, not the endless list of the proposal of what John could do to make up, because there was no way of making up for loneliness, fear, cold and hunger, but he was of the opinion that expecting a simple acknowledgement of one’s mistakes wasn’t the unreasonable condition.

‘’Give yourself time, Ads,’’ advised Michael quietly, studying the fiancé with concern. ‘’I know it’s a lot of to ask from you, but don’t do something rushed.’’

‘’I know. I’m just literally sick every time I think I’ve got half of his genes,’’ snapped the ex-slave irritably.

‘’Don’t think about it, than,’’ advised the Lord not-really-helpfully.

Adam rolled his eyes again.

‘’Thanks, Michael. That was deep.’’

Michael decided to humor him and play along.

‘’No problem, Ads,’’ he replied lightly, however switched to the more serious yet soothing tone almost immediately. Comforting others was never something he was good at, but for Adam he could make an effort. ‘’Since when do you believe in your life path being set? Don’t you believe you choose your fate on your own?’’

Adam buried the face into his arm.

‘’I don’t want to be an ungrateful kid.’’

The Lord understood this better than he wished he would have. Being lumbered with troublesome family, he certainly had experience in that field. He briefly wondered whether his siblings considered him troublesome in the same way he considered them, or at least some of them. Probably yes. One way or another, Adam’s case, this wasn’t something akin to his own family experiences, but even so he knew one thing. One can be a pioneer, a free spirit, a rebel, just like this beloved man who was sitting next to him, who let Michael so close to allow himself to be vulnerable in front of him and seek for comfort, but every single individual somewhere deep inside longed to have people standing with him for good and bad. People he could come to when something goes terribly awry, people who would have your back. Blood was thicker than water and this was both a blessing and a endless source of problems. The nobleman had to try another approach.

‘’Adam, name one thing you should be grateful to John for.’’

Silence.

‘’You see?’’

‘’It’s frustrating. He makes me feel vulnerable. Like if he knew my weak points,’’ admitted Adam reluctantly.

Michael nodded, uncertain what he could say to make things better.

‘’I wish he just disappeared from my life,’’ confessed the younger man.

The sudden idea sparked up in the Lord’s head.

‘’Actually, I can make this happen,’’ he offered. ‘’There’s a solution. I don’t know why I didn’t come up with it earlier as it’s a rather obvious one.’’

Adam’s eyes widened in horror.

‘’Michael, no,’’ he protested vehemently. ‘’Even I know murder is not the answer.’’

Despite the grim circumstances, the nobleman had to bit his lip in order not to laugh.

‘’Easy, sunshine, this solution is perfectly legal one. Truth being told, the thought about the murder haven’t even crossed my mind.’’

‘’Ohh,’’ muttered embarrassed Adam, his cheeks instantly getting crimson. ‘’A friendly reminder I was a street child. I sometimes think in the other categories than you.’’

‘’You tried to stop me, so it tells a lot about your heart being in the right place,’’ noticed Michael gently.

The former offender made an effort to smile.

‘’It looks like I had the best mum in the world and the terrible father, so the average stays on. Sounds fair. Besides, I’m so charming that I caught an awesome fiancé.’’

‘’Your genes are undoubtedly impeccable,’’ agreed the Lord playfully. Since he have met Adam he was by far much more often in the lighthearted mood than ever before, maybe even in his childhood. ‘’You’re my ray of sunshine,’’ he added.

‘’I know,’’ replied the younger man, winking. ‘’You’re not getting rid of me so easily.’’

Michael patted his cheek softly in the tender gesture.

‘’Another thing I would never dream of.’’

***

When Mum announced the news, Sam wasn’t even surprised. Truth being told, considering the tense atmosphere in the family, it was almost a relief. Rock-solid marriage of the parents crumbled the night John told Mary about Adam, so only the legal status would change. Sam couldn’t blame Mum for acting the way she did. At least she broke the deadlock. It was perfectly understandable she couldn’t find it in her to trust her husband anymore. Sam knew how hard this decision must have been, but it was her right and he was okay with every call she would make.

Dean, however, had seen it in the other way.

‘’I can’t believe it, Sammy, I just can’t,’’ he repeated for the countless time. ‘’They can’t get divorced.’’

‘’I’m afraid they can,’’ replied the younger brother calmly. The thought of their parents upcoming split-up hurt immensely despite the circumstances, but he managed to behave in much less emotional manner than his older brother, who was completely and openly distraught.

‘’They were married happily for almost three decades. Dad made one mistake. One,’’ repeated Dean with emphasis. ‘’Besides, it was years ago.’’

‘’Mum didn’t know until now,’’ pointed out Sam reasonably.

‘’Yes, but everything between them had been fine recently. Why divorce now? Isn’t is easier to let go?’’

‘’Dean, do you really have to ask?’’ Sam felt his fake stoicism falling apart as the older brother carried on.

‘’Okay, he had a fling. I’m mighty pissed at him for cheating on Mum, yes, of course I do, but it was years ago. If their marriage beat up the crisis then, it should beat it now.’’

‘’I don’t think it was being cheated on what shattered Mum the most,’’ commented Sam absently.

‘’I know,’’ sighed Dean. ‘’We’ve got a brother. I still haven’t processed it. Did you talk to him?’’

‘’Yes.’’

‘’How come did they let you in to the manor?’’

‘’Charlie is a miracle worker,’’ explained Sam shortly.

‘’How is he?’’ Asked the older man almost tentatively, as if afraid to hear the answer.

Sam ran his head through his always messy hair.

‘’Adam is all right now, but no thanks to Dad. I can’t believe he was basically homeless for years and Dad doesn’t care.’’

‘’Life isn’t black and white, Sam,’’ said Dean, but the younger brother could have tell his defense of John become less vehement. ‘’Dad couldn’t have known.’’

‘’If he had shown a bit of interest, he would have known,’’ pointed out the younger brother softly. He wouldn’t been surprised if it would turn out that coming up with excuses for John’s unforgivable actions was Dean’s way of not losing sanity. Poor guy had always been a family man. ‘’He could have helped them, at least financially. Adam told me their material situation was hard.’’

‘’A normal thing with only one parent working, but families like that usually get by anyway. Besides, don’t you think Mum would notice money disappearing?’’

‘’Yes, she would have and this is why Dad tried to save his own skin. Adam was his responsibility and he just mixed himself out of it.’’

‘’I know,’’ muttered Dean gloomily. ‘’But this doesn’t make him any worse father towards us. This is crazy, Sammy.’’

Sam cursed under his breath. Apparently his brother needed more time and space to process all of these. He just dared to hope it would be sooner than later, cause he might have seriously underestimated how much Dean was attached to Dad.

Luckily, Mary was much quicker in her decision making and setting her life on the right tracks then her oldest, even if she never expected the life to take such a course. However, some matters were obvious to her, even after emotions subsided. There was so room for John in her life anymore. Considering she got sorely disappointed by his behavior and general attitude, this wasn’t even as painful as she expected. Past mistakes, these were forgivable, but this complete lack of remorse and his pitiful attempts to convince her he was nearly a victim of the unfortunate circumstances were much worse. Sam and Dean were grownups thankfully, with their own families, so the whole procedure would be much easier than with teenagers or younger kids. On the other hand, every time she spared a thought about how many years she spent with John, oblivious to his true nature, the new wave of frustration hit her relentlessly. At least now she was free to do what she pleased with her life and was certain she wouldn’t waste the time she had left.

Mary started turning over the new leaf with inviting her stepson for the dinner. Adam turned out at her doorstep punctually, holding a bouquet of flowers.

‘’Ms Winchester?’’ He asked hesitantly. She confirmed with a smile, instantly seeing a few similarities between the guest and her soon-to-be-ex husband.

‘’I’m glad you received my invitation and showed up,’’ she said warmly, after showing him into the living room.

‘’How could I not?’’ He asked with courtesy, even though the truth was he considered this option very strongly, being unsure about her motives, even though what he heard form Sam should have been consoling. One way or another, Milligans didn’t run away from danger, so he took it by the chin and came to see his stepmother, though he didn’t expect the meeting to be the most enjoyable one. Mary could have told he was perfectly polite and well-mannered, but distrustful in the same time, but this wasn’t something she didn’t expect. After the usual small talk, which she personally hated, she swiftly came straight to the point.

‘’You need to know that I’ve already filed for divorce.’’

‘’Divorce?’’ Echoed Adam in shock. ‘’Why?’’

‘’Really, you, all of people are asking me that?’’

The former slave closed his eyes.

‘’Am I worth it? I don’t think so.’’

‘’I couldn’t stand the thought about spending a day longer than necessary with the man who abandoned his own child.’’

‘’I turned out all right in the end,’’ Adam pointed out more bitterly than he wanted to.

‘’You shouldn’t have to endure all this, even if it turned out well,’’ she claimed firmly. ‘’I wish I could say all’s well that ends well, but, even though I know words are cheap, I wish I could turn back time and take you in.’’

The young man raised his brow.

‘’That’s very considerate, ma’am.’’

‘’Please call me, Mary. I’m not here to replace you mum.’’

A geniue smile flashed on Adam’s face.

‘’I appreciate that.’’

‘’Adam, let me explain everything. Before John and I got married and in the first years of our marriage he wasn’t like that. No, his was sensitive and honest and loved me, I’m sure about that. I know it’s probably hard to imagine that, so take my word for it. We were poor, but he was ambitious and hard-working, doing his best to earn our keep. I don’t know what happened to him with time; maybe he got too comfortable with his cozy life, I don’t know how I missed the signs, I should have known, Adam, I should have known something wasn’t right. I apologize for him, one more time, but there’s no number of apologies that would be enough to make it up for you, my sweet boy. I wish I knew about you ten years ago, I would have knocked some sense into John’s thick skull. It looks like I barely knew the man to with whom I shared a life and a bed.‘’

‘’That sounds awful,’’ admitted the former offender honestly.

‘’You have no idea.’’

Adam tilted his head.

‘’It sounds also terribly risky. You probably know I’m getting married.’’

‘’Yes, congratulations of that. I’m sure you’ll have better luck than I did.’’

‘’Thank you.’’

‘’Are you happy with Lord Michael?’’

‘’Yes. Very.’’

‘’Good. That’s all you need.’’

‘’Aren’t you going to ask?’’ Asked Adam after a few seconds of silence.

Mary was slightly confused.

‘’About what?’’

‘’Ask for a favor, of course,’’ replied the soon-to-be Lord in such a tone as it was the most obvious request in the world.

‘’Did John…’’ she started, but stopped mid-sentence and sighed angrily. ‘’Of course he did,’’ she muttered more to herself than to the guest. ‘’Adam, you have no idea how much I want to apologize for his actions.’’

‘’For one thing, you already did and for the second, it’s not your fault, Mary. Besides, I think Mum must have been very jealous of you. She knew about you and when I asked her who my father was she admitted she was just a passing adventure for him.’’

‘’Apparently, there was nothing to be jealous of.’’

‘’I was twelve when she passed away. I often wondered where my father was in that time, before I realized he’s not coming for me.’’

‘’Oh, Adam,’’ exclaimed Mary and pulled the bewildered boy into the motherly hug, not able to hold her instincts for any longer.

‘’It’s okay,’’ he hurried to add. ‘’I’m an adult now and you have no reason to feel sorry for me, seriously.’’

‘’Is it too much from me to ask you to tell me more about yourself?’’ She inquired.

‘’Well, I’d rather have you find out from me than from him, right?’’

‘’That’s the reasonable approach. I like that.’’

She listened to him carefully, interrupting from time to time to ask a question.

‘’I know it’s a lot to ask us to be family, but remember that you’ll be always greeted with opened arms by me. Don’t be a stranger, Adam,’’ she said bidding him goodbye.

Despite the overwhelmingly long list of his concern, Adam found this visit surprisingly enjoyable and even came to the conclusion his evil stepmother wasn’t evil at all. He had to tell Nick about it as soon as possible. He barely realized what was supposed to be a courtesy visit took him a better part of the day, making him miss quite an important events back home.

*******

Gabriel and Raphael arrived in the almost same time. Gabe was first to show up, unchanged, acting as his usual, loud, unrestraint self.

‘’Hi, Mike!’’ he exclaimed excitedly. ‘’Am I in time for a party?’’

Michael’s head started to hurt in the mere few minutes in the Gabriel’s presence.

‘’There’s no party. Not yet, but I’m very pleased to see you,’’ he declared diplomatically.

The younger brother sent him a broad smile.

‘’Of course you are. Everybody loves me. Kali is so heavily pregnant she didn’t want to risk such a long and tiring journey. Me, however, I would never forgive myself for not coming. ‘’

‘’Oh, Gabriel, you didn’t have to. I’m convinced your wife needs you more in this special time.’’

‘’Don’t worry, Mike, not even in a million years I would miss an opportunity to see you breaking the basic rule. I have to tell you, I’m impressed. Never have I expected you are brave enough to do this.’’

Michael gritted his teeth.

‘’Let’s come inside,’’ he offered. It wasn’t even that late and he was already done.

Raphael arrived about an hour later. Despite his all concerns, seeing her made Michael much happier than Gabriel’s visit. He always had a soft spot for his only sister and apparently, despite the passage of time, that didn’t change.

She gave him her a gloved hand with grace as she stepped out of the carriage.

‘’Brother. It’s been quite a long time. Luckily, I’m here now. We need to talk before it’ll be too late,’’ she announced seriously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you worried now?


	42. Chapter 42

The time had come. All the Milton siblings except Castiel, who excused himself from the family get-together, claiming he was already informed about everything and didn’t desire to argue with his siblings, were finally gathered together in one of the larger rooms of their family residence, ready to discuss Michael’s engagement and Adam wasn’t even there, which maybe was for the best. It was hard even for Michael, who took pride in being a fearless warrior, let alone Adam, who wasn’t exactly prepared what exactly meant to face all the Miltons. Michael loved them, but this bunch could be draining. Once he hoped they it would chance once they grow up, but they did and still managed to wreak havoc. However, he was well aware he had to have this talk and postponing it would bring no gain, just prolong the inevitable. To begin with, he confirmed all the facts they already knew. Lucifer looked understandably bored, while Gabriel stared at his eldest brother with such an awe that it made the latter rather uncomfortable. He wasn’t used to being adored by his younger brother like that. Yet, it wasn’t until he was done with that part, the real commotion began.

‘’Brother dearest,’’ said exasperated Raphael. ‘’I can’t believe you’re fornicating with a man, who is not only a lowborn, but also a former slave.’’

‘’Raphael thinks you lost your mind, Michael,’’ remarked Lucifer with badly concealed amusement. ‘’I can’t believe I lived to see this day. It was worth going here only to see this.’’

‘’Lucifer,’’ snapped their only sister. ‘’Do you think it’s funny?’’

Luce shrugged carelessly.

‘’Of course it is. I’ve always thought Michael would end up with some dull, predicable Lady and live into proper marriage without any deeper feelings. Also, she would probably be stupid or just hunting for his title.’’

‘’Thanks, Lucifer,’’ winced Michael.

‘’Don’t tell me you didn’t give us all reason to think so. A perfect couple for public purposes, a lucrative marriage with some walking perfection of the Lady,’’ carried on Lucifer mercilessly.

‘’Adam is perfect,’’ claimed Mike obstinately.

‘’He’s got you wrapped over his little finger,’’ exclaimed Gabriel. ’’I have to meet him. I swear, I’ve never thought there is a man or woman in this world to curb our Mike.’’

The eldest Milton growled, offended.

‘’I’m not a horse to be curbed, Gabriel. You’ll meet him, no worries. This is why you are here, after all.’’

‘’No, we’re here to ask you to listen the voice of reason. Michael, please don’t do it,’’ pleaded Raphael, showing rare for her display of emotions.

‘’This decision is made, sister, and I don’t have any intention of changing my mind,’’ said Michael firmly.

Raphael desperately looked out for an ally, turning to the least expected from the lack of better options.

‘’Gabriel, say something. Be serious for once. Michael can’t marry a criminal.’’

‘’A former criminal,’’ corrected Gabe.

‘’Once a criminal, always a criminal,’’ huffed his sister. ‘’Except that, he’s a commoner. What do you even know about his family?’’ She asked turning to Michael.

‘’I know enough,’’ the asked replied curtly. ‘’Raphael, look at us. We all have same parents, we were raised together and all of us are different. Besides, he’ll be promoted to Lord the moment we get married.’’

‘’This won’t change anything. You can’t cheat the blood. Michael, please, marriage is lifelong commitment. Think it over,’’ she almost implored.

‘’I thought it over and over and over, Raph.’’

‘’Michael, please, I don’t know what your point is, what you’re trying to prove, but deep down you must know this is wrong.’’

‘’Raphael, why can’t you be happy for me? Is this so hard? I don’t have any underlying motives. I love Adam, he loves me, we want to spend the rest of my life together.’’

‘’Lucifer,’’ she said sternly, shifting her gaze at her second oldest brother. ‘’Was it your idea?’’

Luce looked genuinely shocked by this assumption.

‘’Of course not, Raphael. How could I? I barely talked to Michael for the last few years. We never agreed on anything.’’

‘’And now you’re suddenly agreeable over something. It sounds like one of your tricks. Yours or Gabriel’s,’’ she pointed out, looking accusingly at her younger brother.

‘’Regretfully, it wasn’t my idea, to prank Mike like that,’’ replied Gabriel. ‘’Luce, do you want to tell us something?’’

The blond man shook his head no.

‘’No matter how disappointed I am about this, I didn’t come up with idea like this as well. It never crossed my mind that Michael might be so progressive.’’

‘’It leaves Castiel, than,’’ sighed Raphael.

‘’Okay, that’s enough,’’ the eldest brother cut them off sharply. ‘’It’s not a prank, it’s all real here. I’m getting married with the person I love. Accept it, all of you.’’

‘’I’m fully supportive of you, brother,’’ grinned Lucifer.

‘’Yes, I know you do,’’ replied Michael wryly. He was thankful for this support, but it wasn’t a factor to convince Raphael that he knew what he was doing. ‘’I expect you to give Adam no troubles. All of you,’’ he added, glancing at Raphael and Gabriel pointedly. They were giving him a headache. He couldn’t have make them accept his fiancé, but he had to make an effort to ensure they would treat him well.

‘’You’re wounding me, brother,’’ half-whined Gabe. ‘’No jokes?’’

‘’No jokes,’’ replied Michael firmly.

‘’Are you marrying a man with no sense of humor?’’ Inquired the younger brother. ‘’If so, I’m having second thoughts on this union.’’

Before Michael answered, Raphael spoke up.

‘’Enough, Gabriel,’’ she demanded harshly. ‘’You’re completely missing the point.’’

Lucifer tilted his head.

‘’What’s the point then?’’

‘’I don’t know how did it happen and when such an idea even occurred in Michael’s head, but it’s highly disconcerting. Michael, is this because you want a spouse who is completely dependent on you?’’

Raphael clearly couldn’t fathom Michael’s motives, refusing to believe he would go such a great length driven solely by love.

‘’No, of course not,’’ exclaimed outraged eldest Milton.

‘’Is it about gratitude? Do you want somebody to be grateful to you for life? Michael, these people don’t understand what gratitude is. He will never stop cunning against you and…’’

‘’Enough,’’ snapped Michael. ‘’Stop insulting my fiancé right now.’’

Raphael wasn’t giving up.

‘’You can’t be in love.’’

‘’Are you taking me for incapable of love?’’ He asked in the steely tone.

‘’No, but you can’t be in love with _him_!’’ She cried out in despair.

‘’You haven’t even met Adam.’’

‘’I know his kind,’’ she hissed venomously.

‘’There is no his kind,’’ scowled Michael.

Raphael fell silent for the while, but Michael knew there was nowhere near peace in his family. She wouldn’t give up so easily in her misguided attempt to protect him.

‘’You’ll like him,’’ he promised in softer tone. ‘’He’s as medicine oriented as you.’’

‘’Mike, we should get her to accept him in the first place,’’ remarked Lucifer lightly. ‘’This might be hard enough. Just saying. Then maybe she would grow up to like him. Maybe. Very much maybe.’’

‘’You’re as insufferable as always,’’ snapped Raphael. ‘’You’re not sweet talking me into accepting this dishonor.’’

‘’Dishonor?’’ Echoed Michael in dangerously low voice. ‘’Tread carefully.’’

‘’I’m doing it for you, for all of us. Please, let me find you someone suitable to marry,’’ she offered.

‘’I’ve already done that myself, sister,’’ replied the eldest brother.

‘’I can’t get it, what are you thinking, why are you doing that,’’ she admitted almost tearfully. ‘’I don’t understand you.’’

Michael felt almost sorry for her. The last thing he wanted was hurting her.

‘’Raphael, you’re my only sister. We were always the most alike from all of them.’’

‘’This is why I can’t understand. Why? Why?’’

‘’Everybody’s asking me with. Did you ask Lucifer why he was getting married? Gabriel? Did you?’’

‘’With Lucifer it was rather obvious why,’’ pointed out Gabe.

‘’Think about the House of Milton,’’ pleaded Raphael desperately.

‘’I do, all the time. My whole life I did nothing but served the House of Milton,’’ answered Michael neutrally.

‘’Father entrusted you with this responsibility. You should set the example,’’ she pointed out.

There was something menacing in Michael’s tone and apparition as he gave the reply.

‘’Are you suggesting me I’m the disappointment?’’

‘’Michael, I…’’

‘’Don’t finish.’’

‘’I can’t believe I am the one to say this, but literally none of us is better in being the noble Lord Milton,’’ spoke up Lucifer.

Being called ‘’noble’’ by Luce wasn’t exactly a compliment in any circumstances, but Michael knew his younger brother attempted to show him support in his usual, flippant, convoluted way.

‘’Seriously, Raph, he could have passed the title to me, Gabe or Cassie, but he didn’t. He knew Michael would be the best choice,’’ carried on Lucifer.

‘’Who are you and what have you done with Lucifer?’’ Asked Gabriel, suddenly very vigilant.

Lucifer instantly stopped talking and pointed accusatory finger at his younger brother.

‘’One time,’’ he said slowly, in low voice. ‘’One. Freaking. Time. I’m trying to be nice to you, folks, but I see it’s not even worth trying.’’

‘’I wasn’t the one to interrupt you,’’ noticed Michael, displeased with the change of subject. ‘’Could you please go back on track?’’

Luce ostentatiously pretended to consider what to do very strongly, before theatrically sighing and agreeing to pick up the subject.

‘’Okay, so where I was? Oh yes, House of Milton. So, all in all, I’m sure Daddy dearest had some faith that Michael would be the best candidate to deal with all this mess called family and tradition.’’

Raphael looked positively appalled. Michael, who had reacted to Luce’s half-careless, half- intentionally provoking similarly many times before, now found her reaction terribly exaggerated. Funny how his viewpoint changed since he first met Adam. He shivered internally at the thought he was so close to sending Adam back to the kitchen once the boy got better or how carelessly he accused him of the acts of wrongdoings basing only by his prejudices.

‘’Lucifer, with due respect to our late Father, don’t you think Michael inherited the title because he’s the oldest?’’ Raphael asked.

Michael decided it was time to speak up for himself.

‘’It’s a common thing, but not an obligation,’’ he reminded her softly.

‘’I’m sure he wouldn’t, if he was here to see you today,’’ she huffed, done with diplomacy. ‘’Michael, find someone suitable, please. There were always Ladies interested in you.’’

‘’And a few Lords,’’ chimed in Gabriel. ‘’Do you remember Lord what-was-his-name?’’

‘’Doesn’t matter,’’ muttered Lucifer. ‘’Even Michael realized that his wealth was the only good thing. This guy was dumber than his horse, with due respect to the poor animal. Besides, I like Adam. He’s different from all this stuck-up guys and ladies who I always believed to get stuck with Mike. I like having a fun brother-in-law. Don’t deprive me from this bit of happiness in my life.’’

‘’It’s not about you, Lucifer!’’ Scowled Raphael. ‘’Can’t you understand not everything is about you?’’

‘’Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m being a good brother here.’’

Michael rubbed his temples. He knew they were nowhere near coming to an agreement more than they were at the beginning of this conversation.

Adam came back home light as the feather and in extraordinary good mood. He couldn’t wait to tell Michael that his visit turned out to be an unexpectedly pleasant one and maybe, just maybe he would consider keeping in touch with Mary and Sam. The Lord, however, was nowhere to be found. Looking out for him, Adam got approached by Charlie instead, who swiftly informed him that the nobleman was terribly busy.

‘’The Lady is here,’’ she whispered in a such a conspiratorial way as if she was passing the great secret.

‘’The Lady?’’ Asked Adam.

“Lord’s sister,’’ she explained.

‘’Aa, Raphael.’’ Truth being told, he got so engrossed with visiting Mary that he had almost forgotten about Michael’s family.

‘’Yes, Lady Raphael. Oh, Adam, she is scary.’’

‘’So is Michael, but I’m not afraid.’’

‘’Please don’t be heedless with her,’’ she almost implored.

‘’I won’t, promise,’’ he replied, putting on the brave face, even though inside he felt his stomach clench in the tight knot. Objectively, he had faced much worse perils and Raphael theoretically couldn’t harm him in a real way, but when feelings were concerned, nothing was easy and obvious. He wished Michael didn’t have so many unpleasantnesses because of him. It was because of that meeting his fiancé’s family was worse than meeting his own.

The nobleman arrived soon after.

‘’Hi, darling, you look beat,’’ Adam greeted him. ‘’Don’t worry, Charlie already told me Raphael is here.’’

‘’She failed to mentioned Gabriel has arrived as well,’’ replied Michael in the tired voice. ‘’We already managed to have that talk I knew was to come.’’

‘’How did it go?’’ Inquired the blond, slight nervousness in his voice.

‘’We’re stuck in the deadlock with Raphael, but I suspected this might go this way.’’ Michael hesitated, but carried on. ‘’There were a few things I didn’t predict, however, her saying them…About you…’’

Adam took it better than he assumed.

‘’I can imagine.’’

‘’Anyway, both she and Gabriel were asking to finally see you with their own eyes.’’

‘’I’ll go see them.’’ The former slave decided quickly.

‘’Immediately?’’

The younger man nodded.

‘’Yes. I can’t give them impression I’m stalling or hiding.’’

The Lord rubbed his eyes.

‘’All right. How was your visit?’’

‘’Better than yours for sure. I’ll tell you later,’’ Adam promised.

‘’Right. Adam…’’

The former offender interrupted him.

‘’I know, be careful.’’

The nobleman actually smiled.

‘’No. Don’t let Gabriel prank you.’’

‘’I was close,’’ commented Adam and ran out, impatient.

Assuming, not without grounds, that the talk with Raphael would be a less enjoyable one, Adam started with her, with the sincere wish to have it over as soon as possible. He counted to three and knocked on her door, waiting for the permission to enter.

Permission was granted, but still, after giving the Lady her name, he was still faced with a hostile glare.

‘’Who you are? Or rather what you are? What have you done to my brother?’’ Asked Raphael fiercely, without even offering Adam to take a seat.

‘’I’ve already told you my name,’’ replied Adam, looking her straight in the eye. ‘’Forgive me for not calling you ‘’My Lady’’, but we’re basically family.

This didn’t help him to get on her good side.

‘’This is insolence,’’ she scoffed.

‘’This is like with Michael all over again,’’ muttered the blond to himself. ‘’Raphael, I’m not your enemy. I truly love your brother. Michael is dazzling, really, and I lucked out to have him. I don’t want us to fight. As far as I got to know Mike, he won’t give up on me.’’

‘’Don’t you dare to speak about him as if you were equals. If you were my slave, you’d be locked in basement where you belong,’’ she uttered to say with clenched teeth.

‘’I had worse.’’

‘’I can give you worse.’’

Before Adam, who for the better part of his life was proud of his fast reflexes, knew it, he felt a stinging sensation on his cheek. Dammit, she was stronger than she looked, but she was sorely mistaken if she assumed one slap would be enough to make him submit.

‘’Your mere presence here is the disgrace to this place,’’ she hissed and scrutinized him with even greater contempt. ‘’Our bloodline has been pure since its origins, four hundreds year ago. I’m not letting you soil it.’’

‘’There won’t be kids from this union, so let me assure you, your bloodline is safe,’’ he promised with his usual flippant attitude.

‘’Michael deserves a heir with someone worthy, not you,’’ she declared in a steely tone.

Adam got fed up with his attempt to be civil. He made an effort, while she didn’t even try. Besides, he would have rather avoid appearing as weak.

‘’You know, actually, it doesn’t matter,’’ he said. ‘’This is me who Michael listens to, not you.’’

‘’I knew you’re manipulating him,’’ she exclaimed triumphantly.

‘’What? No!’’ He protested. ‘’I would never. I love him and I doubt you even care about him,’’ he let the words flow. ‘’If you were a good sister, you’d leave him be. Can’t you see he’s happy now?’’

The pang of guilt flashed through her emotionless face, making the former slave instantly uncomfortable about being so hostile. Once upon a time he was raised to be a gentleman, to be always polite to the women. Besides, he knew Michael loved her and was pretty sure she loved him back. The sibling bond, one he never experiences and probably never would, even with the miraculous appearance of his half-brothers in his life or at least one of them.

‘’I’m sorry,’’ he heard his own voice. ‘’I didn’t mean to be so harsh with you.’’ He had no idea whether this was a good tactic, but tactics be damned. ‘’I know you probably love him in your own way.’’ He took a breath. ‘’Besides, you don’t really know your brother if you think he’s the one to be manipulated easily.’’ Her hard, relentless glare really made him uneasy. She surely was the strong woman. Good for her, but why at his expense?

‘’Get out of my sigh,’’ she demanded without further explanation and even though he wasn’t proud of it, Adam was in fact quite happy to do so, even though he knew that delaying problems didn’t make them disappear miraculously.

At least Gabriel didn’t seem to have any objections about him. In fact, he seemed quite amused by Adam’s presence.

‘’Now I know Mike wasn’t kidding me,’’ he remarked. ‘’Are you sure you want to get stuck with him? He’s not a fun kind. You can do better, I’m sure about that.’’

The former slave replied that he was perfectly fine and content with Michael as he was. Though, he had to admit that Gabe intrigued him. Hadn’t he known, he would have never guessed Gabriel was Michael’s brother. He seriously never met two siblings so different than these two. Gabriel and Raphael didn’t seem to have much in common as well. Gabriel and Lucifer, well, that was closer. What a peculiar family he was about to marry into. At least he had finally got to know every one of Michael’s siblings, so he knew where he was standing, no matter how strange experience it was.

Something started to worry him immensely. He vowed not to let his doubts win, but after hearing a few sour words from Raphael, he started to have them again. Maybe Michael indeed deserved someone better, someone of noble blood.

‘’Do you still want me?’’ He asked his fiancé, after coming back to him.

Michael sent him a serious look.

‘’Of course we are. I’m not letting my family mess up with our relationship.’’

‘’By family, you mean Raphael?’’

It wasn’t a question he enjoyed asking, but he liked having a straight view.

‘’I mean every one of them, but yes, mainly her. I can’t honey coat it for you, sunshine, sorry.’’

‘’It’s all right. It’s not your fault. I’m just starting to wonder whether she’s right.’’

‘’What did she tell you?’’

Adam sighed.

‘’Do you really want to know?’’

‘’Oh yes, Ads.’’

‘’I’m not good enough for you, you should have never freed me in the first place and she took liberty of slapping me.’’

The nobleman was positively appalled.

‘’Ads, I never thought she would go that far…,’’ he said apologetically. ‘’I’ll make sure it won’t happen again.’’

‘’Don’t do it, please. It’s okay, I had it worse. I’m good. There’s not even a mark, see?’’

Adam was thankful the handprint had faded rather quickly. He almost regretted telling Michael about what happened, but his inner voice advised him strongly not to hide facts.

‘’Don’t you want someone more alike? Someone like you? Someone like Kelly? Or Anna?’’ He asked, maneuvering subtly to shift the Lord’s focus.

‘’Never. You gave me freedom to see the world differently, to have a broader perspective.’’

‘’She’s your sister. I don’t want to mess up things between you are her,’’ muttered the younger man unhappily. The Lord squeezed his hand comfortingly.

‘’You aren’t, sweetheart. Don’t blame yourself. She won’t be the one to pick me a spouse,’’ declared the nobleman firmly. ‘’Adam, I’m so sorry that she hurt you, but take it easy on her. She needs more time to accept you.’’

The ex-slave rested his head on his arm.

‘’You’re really a big softie inside.’’

The brunette narrowed his eyes dangerously.

‘’Don’t you dare.’’

‘’Love you too, Mike,’’ replied the younger man, visibly tired after the whole day. ‘’Please don’t tell me there’s someone else I have to see today.’’

‘’Didn’t you have enough?’’

‘’More than enough,’’ yawned Adam as Michael pulled him closer and ruffled his hair gently. The Lord’s world had indeed turned upside down, with Lucifer on his side and Raphael trying to persuade him he wasn’t right. This was quite a challenge, but he would find a way to deal with her. For Adam.

Nobleman’s lips brushed the crown of blond head.

‘’You’re going to be fine, Adam. I can promise you this.’’

‘’Because you are Michael Milton?’’ asked the former slave with the half-smile.

‘’Because I love you. Remember, whatever happens, no matter what you’ll hear from my family, nothing would change in that matter. Promise.’’

Adam closed his eyes and snuggled closer into the nobleman’s comforting chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone still remember this is a slavefic, not the family drama? Except me, I mean?


	43. Chapter 43

One thing Adam had an opportunity to learn was that obstinacy was something he undoubtedly inherited from his father. John wasn’t likely to give up and as the former criminal wasn’t happy about the interference in his life before, now he was getting even more fed up, especially after finding out Mary was actually not in a slightest bit supportive of John’s actions. Luckily Michael was able to offer a solution as the problem was nowhere near to disappearing.

‘’Let me help you handle this, Adam. Have I even mentioned someone called Bella?’’ Asked the Lord.

His fiancé shook his head no.

‘’No. Who’s she? Should I be jealous? Mike!’’

The Lord chuckled.

‘’Oh no, dear. Not even close. She’s definitely not my type. Bela is my lawyer. You have no idea how efficient she is. Don’t worry, if anyone here has the qualifications to solve your problem for good, she’s a perfect candidate. You have to set your boundaries, if you feel your father is going too far.’’

‘’Michael, were you so good in dealing with your family as you are with my…’’ Adam muttered teasingly, but the nobleman just grinned.

‘’Right? One thing at the time. I’ll describe your situation to Bela unless you want to talk to her personally?’’ The last sentence was more of the question.

That was fast. The younger man had to think about it for a while longer. He wasn’t used to asking for help.

‘’You’re letting some stranger meddle with my private affairs?’’

‘’Don’t worry, she’s bound by confidentiality clause. I’ll be leaving you in very capable hands. Only the best for you, darling.’’

‘’Are you thinking you can sweet talk me into this?’’

‘’I’m not sweet-talking you into anything. Can’t I just be nice to my fiancé?’’

‘’You aren’t just nice to the huge majority of people,’’ pointed out Adam reasonably.

‘’Good thing you’re one of my few exceptions.’’

‘’So, what are you suggesting me to do?’’

‘’It’s your call,’’ replied Michael evenly.

The blond man run his hand through his hair.

‘’It’s settled, than. Let this Bela know. I trust your ability to pick up right people.’’

The Lord smiled at this remark.

‘’Well, I picked you, didn’t I?’’

Bela got informed about the case and filed on details after she agreed to take it. There was something about her that made Adam have second thoughts about hiring her, prompting Michael to assure him that the first impression might be deceptive and she was a true professional. When John received a message informing him to show up at the set hour in the manor, he probably assumed Adam eventually relented and was willing to satisfy his demands. The bigger was his disappointment, as Michael refused to listen his honey-coated words of appreciation.

‘’This is Miss Bela Talbot,’’ he informed John in the clipped tone instead, cutting a stream of praises short. ‘’She’s my lawyer. From now on, she will talk to you on Adam’s and my behalf. I’ll leave you three now to discuss the legal matters.’’

The Lord did as he said, but not before giving his fiancé a brief kiss on lips.

‘’Why the lawyer is here?’’ Asked John, no longer sure everything was going as he planned it. However, the presence of Miss Talbot didn’t necessarily mean bad news, even though the nobleman’s distanced attitude was disconcerting.

‘’I am obliged to inform you, Mr Winchester that every further attempt to contact Mr Milligan will be considered harassment, resulting in the legal action being taken immediately,’’ explained Bela in clear, even voice.

‘’Harassment?’’ Echoed John in confusion. ‘’Since when contacting my son is the harassment? Adam, what are you playing at?’’ He asked angrily. This brat really was lacking basic respect.

‘’Please speak to me, Mr Winchester,’’ carried on Bela. ‘’Harassment means…’’

‘’I know what harassment mean,’’ snapped John. ‘’This is how I know I can’t be harassing him.’’

Unruffled Bela started to fill him on legal basis, calm and collected, completely unmoved by the man’s open annoyance. 

‘’I don’t care what these laws say,’’ he interrupted her mid-sentence. ‘’I have moral right to see my son. I have a moral right to demand obedience.’’

Adam winced.

‘’If you insist on acting this way, Dad, you give me no choice. It’s a goodbye.’’

This definitely didn’t placate the Winchester patriarch in any bit.

‘’How dare to patronize me, you rascal, you ill-mannered brat! You’re not the one here to dictate the rules.’’

‘’He is, Mr Winchester,’’ Bela informed John coldly. ‘’Your position doesn’t give you lot of negotiating power and Mr Milligan has already shown quite a lot of goodwill.

Ignoring the lawyer, John looked at Adam, his expression a mixture of anger and irritation.

‘’So this is your life now? Manors and private lawyers? Your old man isn’t good enough for you? You’ll regret this sooner than you think. No matter what you claim to be, you’ll never fit in. You’ll never be a true Lord and when you realize that, don’t come back crying to me.’’

‘’Don’t worry, that will never happened,’’ replied the ex-slave, keeping the eye contact, not letting himself show a slightest sign of weakness. Only after John left, he hesitated, but asked his lawyer a very crucial question.

‘’Bela? Do you think I made a right decision?’’

‘’Only acceptable in your situation,’’ she answered simply. ‘’In fact, from the legal point of view, your case wasn’t a difficult one.’’

Adam fiddled with a ring on his finger. If only she knew how hard it had been on him. However, this was finally over. In the way, it was a relief, even with a tinge of bitterness in it. He wasn’t letting John ruin his road to happiness.

***

Dean Winchester was perfectly aware he wasn’t perfect, not even close to that, but he took pride in one of his traits- he valued family more than anything. Winchesters were loyal to one another, no matter what happened. In the light of recently revelations, however, he really had to modify his iron-clad faith in Winchester family support and reliability. Besides, the time had come to pick a side. He was an adult, a married man with a child on the way to take care of in the first place. He had to cut this invisible line that linked him to his dad, to silence that little voice in his head that always prompted him to earn father’s appreciation, which was always a rare commodity, allowing Dean to fall into the intricate trap of deprecating his self-worth and the constant guilt of not being good enough. He almost envied Adam for not having to struggle with this unwelcomed feeling, even though he knew his half-brother’s life wasn’t in general something to be jealous of, at least until recently. All right, Adam was engaged to the Lord, but he wouldn’t trade his Jo for any nobleman or noblewoman.

Dean was terribly, truly afraid of having a serious talk with his dad, but he had to take it by the chin. Maybe this conversation was long overdue, but it didn’t make anything better. Especially that Dad was sulking, having heard from Adam and apparently his lawyer something that infuriated him terribly. Also, he mentioned that Lord Michael was awfully rude to him, but Dean didn’t know whether this was truth or just and an exaggeration. He announced to John that they needed to have a word, took a deep breath and started talking.

‘’I couldn’t believe it, Dad. I acted kinda like an ass. In fact, I acted kinds like you, blaming everybody instead of the guilty person. I wanted to believe in you. I idolized you and no matter what I did, I was never good enough for you. I this late, but better too late, but better late than never.’’

It felt strangely liberating to finally let these words out. John, predictably, didn’t understand a thing.

‘’Dean, I though you knew better than to take that tone with me.’’

The blond man refused to back down.

‘’I’m no longer a child, you can’t control me so easily. It’s over, Dad. Sam was right from the start.’’

‘’Dean, what are you talking about?’’ Inquired John.

Dean sent him a sad look.

‘’Dad, I think it’s high time you left my home.’’

‘’How dare you to demand such a thing from me?’’ John roared in frustration.

‘’This was never supposed to be permanent. Dad, I have my own life, my own family,’’ explained the younger man calmly.

‘’Dean, you can’t just leave me to manage on my own.’’

‘’Yes, Dad, I can. I’ve learnt it from you. It’s not so fun being on the receiving way of that treatment, huh?’’

‘’Everybody is turning against me. What had happened to all of you?’’

‘’You’re only reaping what you sow, Dad. The sooner you’d understand this, the better for you.’’

John tried with a different approach.

‘’Dean, you’re my little soldier.’’

‘’Not anymore, Dad…’’

‘’One more time, what happened to you? To all of you?’’

‘’You happened, Dad. I’m letting you stay until you find a place to go, but make the time reasonable and really look out for something, not just pretend. One more thing, tell Jo you’re leaving out of your own accord. I don’t want her to be even more upset than she is by family fights.’’

‘’Dean, think about family,’’ asked the Winchester patriarch, but this sounded more like an order.

‘’That’s exactly what I’m doing now, Dad,’’ replied Dean solemnly.

One conversation down, one more to go.

‘’I hope this restraining order doesn’t include me, because after a terribly long time, I finally understood what’s the right thing to do. Better late than never, I guess.’’

It wasn’t that he planned to say, but Adam actually smiled, a bit ironically, but smiled, exchanged a few words with Dean, and even promised to check up on his future niece or nephew.

‘’You certainly took your time.’’ The ex-slave couldn’t refrain from the little jab.

‘’As I said, better late than never,’’ replied Dean, relieved it went relatively smoothly, even though Adam made it rather obvious his trust was something hard to be earnt.

After being stuck in a peculiar situation with Michael’s siblings, namely one of them and already giving a chance to Mary and Sam, who turned out to be at least moderately decent, Adam concluded he might as well listen out Dean as well. Probably the fact Raphael refused to give him a chance made him more sympathetic or maybe he just wanted to have the conversation with his other brother as fast as it was possible and then move on, as something troubled his mind much more.

‘’I wish Raphael accepted me, you know? Not because she’s a Lady, but because she’s Michael’s sister and he loves her, even though I have no idea why,’’ he complained to Nick, but the older man from obvious reasons was understandably helpless in giving him a meaningful piece of advice.

‘’This is how family works. We love them, even if why sometimes don’t know why,’’ he only managed to say, which comforted Adam a bit, but didn’t help in finding the way to change the Lady’s attitude towards him, her unyielding obstinacy to convince Michael the freed slave wasn’t even close to be worthy of his hand.

It turned out that Castiel was the one aid Adam the most. He just approached him one day and asked whether he had a time to talk, the proposal the former slave took without a blink.

‘’How are you doing?’’ Asked the Lord, even though the answer was relatively easy to predict.

‘’Michael and Raphael are fighting. Over me, I’m afraid. Lucifer is on Mike’s side, but it seems only to get on Raphael’s nerves more, while for Gabriel everything seems like a big joke. He pranks me all the time.’’

‘’This doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you.’’

‘’I know. Michael warned me it’s the way he is.’’ Adam’s eyes sparkled mischievously. ‘’Actually, I managed to get my back a couple of time.’’

‘’This should have earnt you some respect in his eyes.’’

‘’I’m not worried about him. I don’t think Raphael will ever accept me,’’ admitted the blond man unhappily.

‘’She’ll come round. Mike has always been her favorite brother. She respects him a lot, she just needs to more time to accept that you aren’t exactly how she imagined her future brother-in-law,’’ explained Castiel.

Adam chuckled humorlessly.

‘’Not much of blushing bride, aren’t I?’’

‘’Exactly,’’ replied Cas seriously. ‘’She’s fighting with him because she cares about his happiness. Once she’ll see he’s happy, she’ll stop.’’

‘’It can take a while, judging by how the things are going.’’

‘’You’ve changed,’’ noticed Castiel. ‘’It’s the way you carry your head. You’ve been proud before, but now it’s a different kind of pride.’’

Adam rolled his eyes.

‘’Pride often used to be the only thing I had left. I’m not letting it go.’’

‘’That good. I’m not telling you to do so.’’

The former slave run his hand through the hair in exasperation.

‘’What am I supposed to do, Cas? So far she can barely look at me.’’

‘’Well, she has always been like that, I’m afraid. Conservative, proud of her noble blood, cold-hearted even as the little girl, convinced the others need firm guidance because otherwise they won’t be able to function properly. I even know why.’’

‘’Yes?’’ Asked Adam expectedly.

Castiel hesitated.

‘’You won’t like this one.’’

The ex-offender shrugged.

‘’Try me. I can assure you, I’ve heard worse.’’

Cas looked almost ashamed of being the harbinger of bad news.

‘’Not this kind of worse. She’s a lot like that because of Michael. She admired him, as the big brother, later almost like the father figure. Since he was pretty much like that, she grew up the same way.’’

‘’The same way?’’ Echoed the blond.

‘’I warned you that you won’t like this one,’’ said the Lord apologetically.

‘’You know he wasn’t as bad, Cas, even before. I wouldn’t have fallen for somebody completely insensitive. He helped me the day he first met me, even if he didn’t have any reason to. He’s terribly proud of his origins and sometimes uses it to manipulate people, we argue a lot, but he’s a good guy behind all these.’’

‘’She took it further than he ever did, Adam. It sometimes happen in the cases like that. She wanted to be so much like him than she overdid it. I’m sorry Adam, it’s not about you personally.’’

The blond man shrugged.

‘’Don’t be sorry. I know she doesn’t see me as me, just a random guy picked from the streets.’’

‘’I don’t think about you that way and neither does Michael.’’

Adam appreciated this reassurances, but it wasn’t needed.

‘’I know. Hmm, I guess in general it didn’t turn out as bad as I assumed it would. From you four only one person is against me. This is much better score I have predicted.’’

‘’You know I’m on your side, Adam.’’

The ex-slave raised his brow questioningly.

‘’Side? Is this a fight?’’

‘’Bad wording. Listen, Raphael is my sister and I love her, even if we don’t have the greatest rapport. She’s not a bad person. Once she see Michael is happy with you, she relents. She values the traditional order a lot, but I have every reason to believe she loves Michael more.’’

‘’Well, she is right, Cas, and you know it. I am the commoner, ex-slave, ex-offender. When it comes to the future spouse origins, Michael could do so much better.’’

‘’Look, when you were in Eden, you must have seen lots of Ladies, right?’’

‘’They were circling Mike as predators. I have to say I’m rather impressed. I wouldn’t have got so much determination.’’

‘’Actually, I’ve always seen you as determined. However, the point is, Michael could have many of these noble woman if he only said a word and he chose you.’’

‘’Frankly speaking, I tried to explain to him why this is a bad idea, but he refused to listen. Your brother can be obstinate like the donkey.’’

‘’Tell me about it. Anyway, were you a concubine, even the most cherished one…’’

‘’You mean a sex slave,’’ Adam interrupted him sharply, making Castiel blush in embarrassment.

‘’Oh, come on,’’ muttered the former offender. ‘’Don’t tell me you’re shy.’’

As the Lord stayed silent, Adam sighed and asked him to continue.

‘’As I’ve said, were you a concubine,’’ repeated Cas, but this time the blond didn’t correct him. ‘’Even the most cherished one, Raphael wouldn’t be happy about it, but she wouldn’t tell Michael to send you away or something like that. She would just accept it. It’s not a common practice to have a concubine, but it happens sometimes, as you probably know by now.’’

‘’Trust me, I do,’’ winced Adam. ‘’I was taken for the one in Eden.’’

Once again, Castiel looked terribly embarrassed, but continued to talk.

‘’By marrying you, Michael announces the whole world you are his equal. Once you two say ‘’yes’’ to each other, you’re the rightful member of the House of Milton, just like Kelly or Kali. This is what must be bothering Raphael the most.’’

‘’Good thing at least I don’t have a K-starting name,’’ joked the ex-slave, but judging by the Castiel’s confused face he didn’t get the humor. ‘’Raphael doesn’t think I’m worthy of being a member of the family,’’ Adam added completely seriously. ‘’This isn’t a surprise for me. I would be naïve to assume she would be overjoyed with someone like me.’’

‘’There’s nothing wrong with you, Adam, but as I’ve mentioned before, Raphael is very traditional when it comes to some aspects. You aren’t the first commoner to be promoted to Lord, this would be bad enough in her eyes, but at least not precedential, but you definitely are the first liberated slave to be marrying the noble. She truly believes Michael deserves the best, by what she means another noble. Commoner itself would be a disgrace…’’

Castiel didn’t finish the sentence, he didn’t have to, Adam knew the ending.

’’I’m a double disgrace, yes?’’

‘’I’m sorry, Adam,’’ whispered the brunette, with such a voice as if it was really his fault. ‘’I’m sorry you have to go through this.’’

‘’Not your fault,’’ assured him the other man.

After being treated like nothing his whole life, this rejection surprisingly hurt. Cas helped to fill him in on details, explaining everything from the start and Adam appreciated that, having the clear situation and all the reasoning and background explained to him in one piece, but it wasn’t that he was the main point was something new. He knew beforehand that Raphael might be, subtly speaking, opposing, but it still hurt, because no matter how much he tried to convince himself he didn’t need it, there was a atavistic yearning for being accepted somewhere deep inside him. If only she wasn’t so important to Michael.

All this chaos in his head didn’t help him concentrate on his studying goals. He was sitting in the library, and while his love for the medicine didn’t falter any bit, his mind was wandering, unable to focus on the book. Of course, theoretically he didn’t have to go to the university in that year, in fact he didn’t have to go to the university at all, but he had already have a sense of the lost time and didn’t want to let another year pass without taking an action. Besides, since he fell in love he had gotten additional motivation, for Michael to have a real partner, with his own life and interests.

That day going through genetics was even harder than before. Not because of the subject, which was difficult but fascinating, but because of the situation outside. He forced himself to focus on the text, but he got distracted again, by the creak of the opening doors. He initially ignored the sound, rereading the same sentence for the third time, but the sound of the approaching footsteps made him raise his head almost automatically. He really had a bloody luck; to meet her, of all of the people. Seeing him, she also froze in place.

‘’Raphael,’’ he greeted her politely.

‘’Adam,’’ she replied with dignity. ‘’What are you doing here?’’

‘’I’m studying for my entrance exams. Medicine,’’ he replied simply, repeating to himself to be calm and civil, for Michael’s sake.

She sat on opposite side of the table.

‘’There seems to be more books on this topic than the last time I was here.’’

‘’Michael doesn’t own many medical books, but he ordered the ones I asked for.’’ Adam explained softly.

‘’Michael is very generous, even for you.’’

‘’I’d say especially for me.’’

Raphael scrutinized her future brother-in-law closely.

‘’Are you serious about studying, let alone such in such a demanding field?’’

‘’I always knew this is something I want to do in my life.’’

‘’That’s rather…impressive considering your…situation.’’ She seemed to struggle to find the right words.

Adam feigned a shock.

‘’Is it? Now, tell me, how did you became a doctor?’’

‘’You might be surprised, but I aimed for it since my early years as well, even though I was told medicine is not a proper profession for a Lady.’’

That was an unexpected confession, but the former slave was glad to she wasn’t attacking him for a while.

‘’I can see you weren’t discouraged by this stupid prejudice.’’

‘’I don’t care about the lesser people opinion.’’

Adam hummed noncommittedly, unsure how to maneuver diplomatically through this unexpected conversation.

‘’You seem to handle well being human again,’’ spoke up Raphael, unknowingly rescuing him from coming up with a good response.

That one was easy to answer for Adam, as the words came instantly, automatically, as the most obvious thing in the word.

‘’During the time I was a slave, I wasn’t any less of a human than now.’’

The Lady watched him in silence for a while, reminding him of Michael’s similar habit.

‘’How did the assessment go? Am I more acceptable option now?’’ The ex-slave asked sarcastically.

‘’You’d never be fully acceptable for me.’’

‘’I’ll have to go with a good enough, than.’’

Saying no more, she took the book she came for in the first place and left Adam with only bigger confusion.

She must have said something to Michael, however, as he later mentioned to his fiancé that she might have partially modified her standing on Adam’s case.

‘’I think Raphael is warming up to you.’’ The Lord informed his fiancé, as they were sitting in the evening together, drinking hot tea and talking.

Adam blinked in surprise.

‘’Is this even a possibility?’’

The nobleman sighed heavily.

‘’Adam, for crying out loud…This is what I’m trying to achieve from the start.’’

‘’I know, Michael, just kidding.’’

‘’Don’t. I’m serious here.’’

‘’As always.’’

‘’Adam, don’t push it.’’

‘’Michael, you and Raphael are sometimes so terribly alike.’’

Raphael still was far from understanding why Michael had taken such a length to free Adam and why he intended to marry him, but in all in all she assumed it could have been worse. Maybe the former slave wasn’t objectively the good part, but at least Michael was happy and Adam at least showed some interest in self-development and broadening his knowledge. Raphael could have been a Lady, but she was also, or maybe in the first place, a sister. There would probably never be a great friendship between her and Adam, but at least they could afford a tentative truce, as she didn’t manage, despite her best efforts, to discourage her brother from this marriage. Besides, she had one more selfish motivation as well. It was good to finally have another person in the family who shared her interests. All in all, she decided she had to bend a bit her iron rules in order not to stand in the way of Michael’s happiness. She valued her relationship with the oldest brother too much to risk it in the long run. Maybe there was an exception to each rule and this was one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, guess what will be in the last chapter before epilogue.


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time ago I promised you Zachariah will be back. I suppose none of you (myself included) thought it would take so long, but today’s the day. I think this chapter is a bit of the reminder how this story started and how far we've come.

Raphael promised not to cause any problems and even though it was obvious for Michael she still wasn’t overjoyed with his choice, he assumed it was the best compromise he could achieve. In fact, she even offered to help Adam with his studies and fulfilled that promise, so it was like reaching a milestone, considering the rough beginning. The Lord barely understood what were they so excited about, listening to their hushed voices as they were sitting buried under the pile of thick books, but at least they found something to bond over.

Gradually, the Miltons left to their own homes and lives, leaving both Adam and Michael surprisingly lonely despite living in the huge place with the numerous servants. It took a while to get used to being on their own again, but at least they had more time to spend with each other.

Castiel was first to leave, reaching for Eden, where he was supposed to meet with Anna, both of them determined to continue what Michael started. The most heartbreaking though, was saying goodbye to Jack and Nick. The rooms were so quiet without the patter of small feet and Adam wasn’t pleased to say goodbye to Nick so soon after he got him back. He knew, however, this would be the best for the man, maybe his only chance to regain freedom. The older man wasn’t fond of leaving his only friend as well, but at least he didn’t have to separate with Jack and both Lucifer and Kelly promised to let him write.

Saying goodbye, Adam hugged the older man wholeheartedly.

‘’Thank you,’’ he whispered. ‘’If it weren’t for you, I would have gone crazy in that kitchen.’’

‘’You’re welcome, kid, but you’re too strong to break, with or without me,’’ whispered Nick back, obviously touched.

Adam’s life seemed to be nearly perfect, maybe except one thing.

‘’Something on your mind?’’ Inquired Michael, when one evening Adam was gazing in the dark sky outside the window for the long time.

‘’Always,’’ replied the blond man with a dead-serious tone.

‘’And this particular one?’’

‘’Castiel said I’ve changed.’’

The Lord hesitated.

‘’Probably, yes. Why do you sound as if it worried you?’’

‘’Because it does,’’ snapped the younger man in such a tone as if it was obvious. ‘’I’m not the same man you fell in love with.’’

‘’What matters remained the same. Adam, you belong with me and don’t even think otherwise,’’ assured the nobleman in what he hoped was a warm voice. Must have worked, judging by blond’s reaction.

‘’You’re bossy,’’ he said in the mock-accusing tone.

Michael smiled back.

‘’No, I’m just protective and madly in love.’’

Adam pretended to think about it.

‘’Too protective, but I agree with the second part of the sentence,’’ he declared in the end.

***

After being fired after the almost life-long service to the House of Milton times weren’t kind to Zachariah. His lack of skills others than supervision, haughty attitude and inability to compromise made it hard for him to find another job. He had no family to support him and his savings were melting mercilessly. He slowly had to learn to get by, but his prejudice, lack of flexibility and overly high expectations made it nearly impossible. He had to sell his old flat and buy a smaller one, but this wasn’t even close to enough. He refused to lower the standard of his life, hoping against hope that Michael would admit he made a mistake and give him his old job back. However, days passed, turning into weeks and then months and nothing happened. Convinced about his cleverness and being above the law (he wasn’t the common criminal after all), Zachariah started to dabble with small frauds. The first time was the worst, but the second and third went smoothly, encouraging him to try his luck with the larger sums. A few successes had lowered his guards, resulting in his actions being noticed by authorities, leading to his accusation and eventual trial.

In the meantime he had heard a word or two about his former employer’s engagement, but all the news were surprisingly vague and contradicting. Naturally, he had been rather curious about Michael’s future spouse, the years of working having formed quite the attachment, probably the only one he experienced in his life, but due to his own troubles, his attention had been soon directed in the other way, forcing him to focus on his unsteady situation rather than on the Lord’s upcoming marriage.

Chastening look of the Judge was one of the most humiliating experiences in his whole life and it was only the beginning. Zachariah had been in the complete denial during the whole trial. In his reasoning, Osiris had to understand his actions, after all. Not so long ago they were working in the same department. He deserved clemency even if solely in the light of his contribution to judicial system. Unfortunately, for him, the Judge didn’t see it that way and sentenced him to be enslaved, just like any other offender. Without Michael’s support, the former overseer was completely defenseless, no matter how much he wanted to believe in his own special position in the world.

Being sent to the Lord’s slavequarters was the harrowing experience, which didn’t get any better with time. The conditions weren’t as harsh as under his own reign, but he didn’t even notice that. The sudden, unwelcomed change in life was devastating one way or another. He refused to listen to the advice he used to give Adam repeatedly and keep him head down, he had no allies and being recognized had resulted in getting himself enemies, people who chose to ignore the consequences and finally take their own much-coveted revenge. The overseers didn’t mistreat him on purpose, but also didn’t react when he was attacked by the fellow slaves. The worst thing in all this, however, was the awareness his punishment was the life-long one. In the beginning, he deluded himself with the hope Michael would come and retrieve him, but days passed and absolutely nothing happened. Finally, one morning a familiar figure appeared in front of him, but this wasn’t his former employer.

Zachariah, reasonably fearing for his own safety, wondered before where Adam was and whether he would be as vindictive as the rest (he presumed that yes, given a chance), and he finally had received his answer.

When he saw the familiar silhouette in the kitchen doorway, he thought he was dreaming or his imagination was playing tricks on him. With him being stressed, malnourished and sleep-deprived, it wasn’t even such an improbable occurrence. He seriously wondered for the brief while whether the man was real, rather than the fidget of imagination or the phantom sent to torment him. It must have been a product of his disoriented, tortured mind, right? It was the only logical explanation. However, Adam not only refused to disappear, but wasn’t showing any fear or lack of confidence. He was talking to Crowley, who nodded in understatement a few times and to Zachariah’s alarm, came to fetch him. In this very expected way, the former overseer ended up eye to eye with his former victim.

From the close distance, Zachariah could have seen the young man presented himself much better than the last time he saw him. It was a bitter realization that the fateful chain of events which brought him here started because of that brat. Now he was miserable, while Adam looked relaxed and well. He didn’t want to think of it, dwelling on the past was painful enough and apparently the Universe wasn’t keen on letting him forget who he used to be.

‘’Lord Adam, is there anything else I can do for you?’’ Spoke up Crowley, bringing Zachariah back to reality.

‘’No, thank you, I just want to have a word or two this this man,’’ replied the blond man in the neutral tone.

‘’He’s all yours, My Lord,’’ declared the overseer before taking a step back.

Speechless Zachariah just stared wordlessly at his former victim, unable to find the words.

‘’Hi,’’ Adam spoke up first. ‘’I guess this wasn’t what you expected, but to be fair, I didn’t expect to see you again either. You don’t look good,’’ he commented in conversational tone. ‘’This lifestyle doesn’t seem to work out well for you.’’

The spark of hope that maybe he would be rescued lit up in the slave’s mind, but vanished as soon as appeared with the future Lord’s following words.

‘’You have to work harder to fit in. This is your kind of penance and the way to be useful to society. There’s no other way, you have to learn and it’s up to you whether you’re going to do it the easy way or the hard way.’’

Zachariah recognized the words too well. He used to tirelessly repeat them to Adam over and over again, making it a double blow, another reminder of how far had he fallen.

‘’You used to be more talkative,’’ carried on the younger man. ‘’Nothing? Seriously? Cat got your tongue? You’re not so bold anymore, don’t you?’’

Silence.

‘’Talk to me,’’ he demanded. ‘’Tell me, do you have any regrets…now?’’

Still silence. Zachariah was too dumbstruck to speak coherently.

Adam turned out to Crowley.

‘’May I?’’ He asked, gesturing to the whip the other man was holding.

The overseer handed an implement to Adam without any protests.

‘’My Lord,’’ he said submissively, though his eyes glinted in excitement.

Adam gripped the cold handle, taking a deep breath. Physically he was fully healed, long time ago, but scars on this mind and soul seemed to be etched on him forever. He counted as success the sole fact he actually managed to go down to the kitchen. With Nick it was kind of impulsive action, but now he decided to do it with the full deliberation. Despite his seemingly laid-back and confident demeanor, it wasn’t easy for him to confront the old foe, even if Zachariah was now completely helpless and couldn’t as much as lay a finger on him, at least not without causing heavy ramifications for himself. Adam felt compelled to see him, to somehow end this chapter and move on with his life since Michael informed him a few days before about what happened to the former overseer. The younger man’s reaction wasn’t particularly hard to predict.

‘’You can’t be serious,’’ he blurted out.

‘’No matter how strangely it sounds to me as well, it’s the truth. I would never pass such an unverified news to you,’’ claimed the nobleman seriously.

‘’I have to see him,’’ decided the Adam quickly.

‘’You don’t have to do anything,’’ replied the Lord. ‘’I just wanted you to know. You deserve to know.’’

The former offender shook his head no.

‘’Okay, bad wording. I know I don’t have to, but I need to. For my own sake, Michael. Besides, I doubt I will be fully able to believe if I won’t see it with my own eyes.’’

Michael seemed rather concerned.

‘’Are you sure this is a good idea?’’ He asked with slight hesitance.

‘’Are you taking me for the weak, Michael?’’ Inquired the ex-slave in the steely tone.

‘’Of course not,’’ replied the Lord defensively.

‘’Then, how could you even suggest I should deny myself this little piece of satisfaction?’’

The nobleman looked almost guilty for being too worried about his fiancé wellbeing, so the whole scene ended up with Adam comforting him and reassuring everything would fine between them.

Walking downstairs, it took him a while to get himself together, he almost backed down a few times, but there he was, facing his demons bravely. This time, he was the one to dictate the rules and Zachariah knew that he was on his mercy.

‘’You can’t,’’ he protested weakly.

‘’It’s Master to you,’’ admonished him Adam sharply, to his own surprise. The words came naturally, probably for the first time in his life and he refused to be sorry for that. The former overseer wasn’t an innocent victim to be coddled, Adam caught himself on thinking like his fiancé. Anyway, Zachariah had committed deplorable actions towards Adam and not only him, abusing his power, power entrusted him by Michael, with enraged the former slave even more. Michael deserved better than to be misled, especially for such a long time and who knows, it not for Adam’s case, whether he would find out about Zachariah’s cruel actions.

‘’I’m your rightful Master, as Michael’s soon-to-be husband,’’ the former offender carried on. ‘’We’re engaged. I guess I should say thank you for bringing us together, even if I would have preferred less violent method.’’ Normally, he wouldn’t be pleased about being master to anyone, rather the opposite, the entire concept of him wielding such a great power made him sick and overwhelmed, but this time he could have made an exception, even if only to see this question and confusion in Zachariah’s eyes. Also, there was something else in his face. Was it fear?

The shell-shocked former overseer had to process these announcements for the few seconds before being able to comprehend Adam’s words fully, than opened his mouth to accuse him of lying, but in this very moment he noticed the intrinsic piece of jewellery on the blond man’s finger. The sapphire ring itself could have meant nothing, but in connection with other clues it actually made sense, much to Zachariah’s terror. Adam’s general confidence, acting as if he was in charge, his well-tailored clothes made of good materials, his entire demeanor, Crowley’s polite and slightly subservient behavior towards him, the way Michael was furious when he found out about what Zachariah had done to the slave, his sudden interest in the young man and unusual concern, his insistence to heal him and keep him close. All these elements of the puzzle didn’t exactly have to make sense separately, might have actually formed into the whole picture. Despite all this, Lord Michael just couldn’t…Why would he? The boy was a commoner, a criminal, a slave, after all. And how, for crying out loud? It was a great mystery to Zachariah, but he had to solve it later, as he had a more urgent matter to address right now.

‘’You can’t do it,’’ he repeated in the small voice, sounding much more pleading than he intended. These words burnt his tongue, but he had to swallow his pride in attempt to avoid being harmed. He wasn’t so young anymore and his health also wasn’t the greatest due to multiple factors.

Luckily for him, Adam didn’t share his bloodlust. He couldn’t have hurt a man in cold blood, only because of his own desire to show him who was in charge this time.

‘’Turnabout is fair play, doesn’t it? I can, but I won’t,’’ he finally decided, giving an implement back to Crowley. ‘’Keep an eye on this one,’’ he instructed the overseer. ‘’He’s prone to rebel.’’

‘’Yes, My Lord,’’ responded the man eagerly. Adam could have sworn this was when he saw always calm and dignified overseer nearly agitated.

Maybe he should have let it go and be a generous Lord, smile benevolently at the old foe and announce he was above getting revenge, but he was just human, human who had been badly hurt to the boot. He couldn’t just forget and forgive. Something told him that Zachariah would see an act of mercy like as the weakness and that was the last thing Adam wanted. He wasn’t weak, Michael and Nick repeated him that he was a strong one and he really wished to believe in it. Besides, he doubted that Zachariah would learn something in the easy way. After all, the man was rather vocal on his beliefs about so-called rehabilitation last time Adam saw him and before, so there was nothing more satisfactory than letting him taste his own medicine. A poetic justice. Maybe Zachariah was right from the start, when he regularly repeated that leniency was overrated. Or maybe one day Adam would go down again and inform Crowley with a charming smile that he decided it’s enough and the former overseer deserved some let-up. However, this wasn’t an acceptable option anytime soon. He made a mental note to remind Crowley to be fair, but it had to wait until Zachariah was out of the earshot. He also had to talk to Michael about freeing more slaves and making the life more bearable for others. It would have been convenient just to leave things as they were, but he hadn’t experienced these horrors first-handed to be so selfish.

Despite all his concerns, he was fine. Michael and Nick were right about his ability to fit in. It wasn’t how he imagined his life to be, but in the end of the day, he could have honestly admitted to himself that he was perfectly happy with its current shape. However, for him it wasn’t the most important where, but with who.

***

‘’Thank you for doing this for me,’’ said Adam, his eyes strangely absent.

‘’How could I not? I wish I had met her,’’ replied Michael, following him through the cemetery alley.

‘’Yes, me too. Now turn left, yes, here we almost are,’’ his fiancé guided him before stopping in front of the old, slightly unkempt grave. He used to come here from time to time, only to sit there in silence or talk to Mum, hoping she was still somewhere there to hear him. Sometimes he had an impression he almost felt her comforting presence in this place. The last time he was there, however, was long time ago, as he was first on the run, than enslaved and then his entire life turned upside down and even though he had been thinking about her a lot, he didn’t actually visit Mum’s grave in person.

For they while both of them stood there in silence.

‘’I miss her so much,’’ confessed the younger man. ‘’Even now. Do you think it’s strange? It’s been more than the decade.’’

‘’I think it’s human,’’ replied Michael evenly.

Adam studied the faded letters etched in dark stone.

‘’Hi Mum,’’ he said, after Michael stepped aside to give him some privacy. ‘’I know I haven’t visited in a while, but it’s not my fault, really. I really miss you, Mum, but things are good for me now, honest. This tall and handsome guy right there is Michael. He is a good man, Mum. He loves and I love him. You would have liked him, promise. We’re getting married. Your son is engaged now, Mummy. Such a pity you didn’t live up to that day. Mike has all the money that could have helped you, but it isn’t why I love him. He’s just…Michael. He saved me, twice. Granted, this survival was sometimes sloppy, but he apologized, so I considered forgiving him. We’ll be happy together, Mum. In fact, I’m already happy, happier than I’ve ever been in my life. I only wish you were here, but except of that, it’s so perfect it’s hard to believe it’s real.’’ Adam never considered himself sentimental, but in that moment he had to blink a couple of times in order not to let tears run.

‘’May I talk to her as well?’’ Asked the nobleman, coming closer to him again.

The former slave nodded.

‘’Of course.’’

Michael took a deep breath.

‘’Mrs. Milligan. Mum, I guess. I’m sorry I didn’t came here earlier, but Adam and I were really busy. I just want to thank you. It’s mostly because of you he is the man he is now. He taught me a lot, he opened my eyes. I love him just the way he is, because he’s perfect. I swear I’ll care for him and protect him, even if he’s perfectly capable of doing it himself.’’

‘’I’m happy you finally realized that,’’ commented Adam in his usual flippant way.

‘’I know it perfectly, but it’s hard to stop myself from this need to take care of you.’’

The younger man didn’t answer, crouching instead next to the monument, inspecting the cracks.

‘’Now I can finally take care of this place. Look at it, it’s a shame I neglected it so much.’’

‘’Adam, you didn’t have any means to do something with that,’’ said the Lord with sympathy.

‘’I tried to keep it in the good shape, but you know I was desolate,’’ Adam admitted. ‘’Besides, I’m not a fan of cemeteries, but I have to come here from time to time. I just have to.’’

‘’Understandable. I think we should replace the monument with the new one,’’ Michael offered.

‘’That’s a good idea,’’ replied the former offender thoughtfully, coming back to standing position. ‘’This one was bought with the rest of the money left. She deserves something better.’’

‘’I’m sorry for what happened to her and I’m sorry for what happened to you.’’

Adam smiled.

‘’Let’s focus on here and now.’’

Michael took both of his hands and pecked his lips.

‘’I love you, Adam Milligan. Don’t you ever dare to doubt that.’’

‘’Then don’t give me any reasons to doubt,’’ answered Adam, kissing back.

‘’Brat,’’ whispered the nobleman affectionately, patting the other’s man cheek.

‘’I’ve heard this before, you need to come up with something new.’’

‘’I don’t think so. This is the one that suits you the most.’’

‘’You knew this beforehand, so now you can’t complain.’’

‘’I’m not complaining.’’ The Lord took his hand. ‘’Let’s go home.’’

Home.

After all this years, this word finally had a meaning to Adam.

It was the long journey, but now everything was all right. He had found peace. He had found happiness. He was home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the moment this story was supposed to end, but you made me change my mind. I’ll give you cliché wedding ending. See you next Sunday, one last time.  
> Now, when it's almost over, please let me know who's your favorite character and whether you have a favorite motive/chapter/scene.


	45. Chapter 45

People say it’s always the darkest before dawn. During his teen years, Adam spent long hours just staring in the dark, dreaming about some kind of miracle which would make his life better. These hours were oddly peaceful, but there was still some kind of longing inside of him, dream of the better life. Years passed, nothing much changed, except that he learnt how to get by. The life was bearable, but far from good. One summer night, when he was lying on his back, gazing at the stars, he decided it was high time to acknowledge there was no much hope for him. After all, there was literally no one to help him and he had no means to help himself. He had turned into an improper cynic and this was good, that was essential, because it was the trait that allowed him to endure these everyday hardships. Good moments were rare commodity, so he learnt to value them even more.

He remembered vividly how miserable he was at his first months in Milton’s mansion, even if it was what seemed like the lifetime ago. Nick, even if he was acting in good faith and tried to soothe Adam and lessen his suffering, made him almost lose faith that it would get any better. He had hit the bottom, trapped and denied basic rights, but something inside him prompted him not to give up, compelling him to fight, no matter how pointless it seemed.

He remembered what he had thought of Michael, how he assumed the Lord was heartless, distant and narrow-minded and he knew perfectly the Lord also didn’t have the best opinion about him as well. It was a rocky road, road to mutual trust, understanding and love, but it was worth every single effort, to hear the first ‘’I love you,’’ to live to this day, to finally make their relationship official for the world to see, to say ‘’yes’’ to one another one more time.

The year has passed since their engagement. Adam had completed the first year of his studies, finally pursuing his dream of becoming a fully-fledged physician and Michael carried on with his usual Lord life. They would have tied the knot sooner if not for the rather unexpected news. King Chuck was travelling thought the country, claiming he wished to be closer to his subjects and he expressed the will to be the one to join Michael and Adam in the matrimony. The news about his favorite’s Lord plans had reached his ears and not only he didn’t have anything against the intended union (the reasonable fear of both Michael and Adam), but also had claimed he would be delighted to visit Windom and do the honors. It wasn’t easy for Adam to admit this, but he was initially petrified by this announcement, while the Lord had mixed feelings. All in all, he concluded that this meant Chuck accepted fully his plans and convinced his fiancé it was joyful news. It took the former slave a while to come to terms with that, but in the end of the day he agreed with the nobleman. Anyway, even he couldn’t argue with the King, so acceptance was the only reasonable option.

The date was set and the preparation began. Once again, all the Michael’s siblings as well as Anna had arrived, but despite the obvious commotion they had brought with themselves, Adam didn’t find himself half as nervous about seeing them as the first time. To his great delight, Nick had arrived as well, brining joyful news.

‘’I can’t believe it,’’ he kept repeating, much more agitated than Adam ever seen him.

‘’I know, I couldn’t believe it at first as well. What are you planning to do now, with your life back yours?’’

Nick hesitated.

‘’I’m not sure myself yet. I never considered this an option. I think I may stay with Lord, Lady and Jack, if they still want me, of course. I’ve grown quite accustomed to this kid.’’

‘’I’m sure they do. I’m so happy you managed to get here on my wedding, Nick,’’ exclaimed the younger man.

His friend and mentor smiled at him softly.

‘’How could I? I wouldn’t have missed it any case,’’ he replied and then told Adam about his own wedding day.

Jack was unsurprisingly as lovable as the year before, just a bit grown up and more talkative. Adam had a chance to find out he had played quite a role in prompting Lucifer to set Nick free.

‘’Jack basically considers him a second dad, can you imagine?’’ The Lord complained.

‘’Actually, yes, I can,’’ replied Adam evenly.

‘’Isn’t it awful?’’

The former slave burst into the fit of laughter.

‘’I can’t believe it. You’re jealous!’’

‘’No, Adam, I’m heartbroken and this is your fault,’’ replied Lucifer in the mock-accusing tone.

‘’The great Lord Lucifer is heartbroken! Oh my, I need to remember this day.’’

‘’You’re so mean to me, just like Michael. You two make a fitted pair.’’

‘’Thanks, I’ll take it as the compliment.’’

‘’I just had to free him, Adam. How could I not? I can’t lose in this race for my own son’s affection with the slave.’’

‘’The King just agreed?’’

‘’Yes, actually, yes. I think the fact Kelly was the one to ask for his permission helped a lot.’’

‘’That actually explains everything.’’

‘’You know, title or not, you _are_ the Lord. You treat others awfully, only because you can.’’

‘’He was always like that, Luce,’’ commented Michael, entering the room. ‘’Never one to mince his words.’’ He put a warm hand on the fiancé’s waist, kissing him tenderly. ‘’Lord Adam. It like that.’’

‘’Probably more than I do,’’ replied the former slave with a smile.

‘’You see? A perfect example of that,’’ said the elder Milton.

Adam and Michael had to settle their differences while organizing everything, but in the end they came to an agreement mostly painlessly. The problematic topic turned out to be appointing the best man and the best woman. They considered a few options and since Adam was on speaking terms with both of his brothers, he didn’t feel a close affinity to neither of them. Michael, on the other hand, briefly considered asking Raphael to be their best woman, as his closest female relative, but quickly dismissed this thought. Her and Adam’s relationship was better than in the beginning, but they were definitely far from forming a close bond. In the end, they decided for Anna and Castiel, as both of them were supportive of Adam and Michael’s relationship with him from the start. They were there for them almost from the beginning of the story, watching it evolving and developing, so they deserved to be honored on this special day as well. Besides, to everybody’s surprise they got back together. Apparently sharing a life goal played a huge role in that. Another surprise, even bigger than this, turned out to be the fact they didn’t came to Windom alone. There was a little girl, a few years older than Jack, with them.

The previous year had been busy time for Castiel as well and seeing Michael making final wedding amends made him realize how much changed in the relatively short time. Even though rationally he knew he had more than enough time to process this, he still barely could believe his own eyes. His conservative, proud of his origins brother, the epitome of righteousness, was marrying a former slave, and to make all this even more bizarre, the King was actually happy to tie the knot. In fact, the second thing was less surprising than the first. Chuck was known from unpredictable actions, while Michael seemed dead set on the fixed order. However, it took as much as one glance to see Michael’s feelings were geniue and he wouldn’t have been himself if he hadn’t fought for Adam. Who would have thought, not so long ago Cas was absolutely, hundred percent sure that his eldest brother would be mocking him, if not sabotaging his efforts in his slave rights movement.

Destiny sometimes worked in the mysterious ways. Castiel could have only feel sorry for Adam becoming a part of this dysfunctional family, but the man had been warned. Cas wished to believe that he had a hand in freeing Adam and enabling this marriage to happen. When he first met his future brother-in-law, he hadn’t even assumed this would end like that, even though even back than it was obvious Michael considered him somewhat special, which was peculiar enough for Castiel, considering the way his eldest brother was.

Castiel was proud of Michael, proud of himself and what was the most important, he was happy and fulfilled. Of course, he had still to explain to his curious family why he had brought a child along. He decided Michael would be the first to find out.

‘’It was somehow an impulsive decision, but it might be the best one I made in my life. Her parents died in the awful accident and she has no living relatives. I’ve met James and Amelia before and they were very decent people. Claire would have certainly shared Adam’s fate if somebody wouldn’t have taken her in,’’ Cas explained. ‘’We’re planning to adopt her as soon as it’s legally possible.’’

‘’You have my full support. I owe you this,’’ replied the elder brother calmly, the clear evidence of how much he changed his viewpoint on slavery and class differences. Castiel could have breathed in relief and actually ventured to ask whether Michael and Adam had any plans considering children on their own.

‘’We’ve been discussing it, but in the end we agreed not to adopt. I mean, I’d rather have Jack as the heir and neither me nor Adam were truly insistent on children, so let the things stay as they are in this department. Besides, neither of us can imagine taking in other kid than Jack,’’ the elder Lord answered.

They certainly couldn’t complain at the lack of kids in the family. Lucifer and Kelly arrived with Jack, obviously, who had a big role to play at the wedding, Gabriel and Kali brought their little boy as well and Jo and Dean appeared with a little Mary Ellen, named after both of her grandmothers. While Sarah and Sam didn’t announce the great news yet, Sarah’s growing belly gradually started to give away their secret to the watchful eye. Raphael was still single and childless, but didn’t seem to be upset with that state, which wasn’t actually something unexpected for Michael. It wasn’t a great surprise as well that Adam had much better rapport with Jo than with Dean. They had took to each other almost immediately, making both Michael and Dean almost jealous.

True to her word, Mary didn’t try to replace Kate in Adam’s life, for which he was immensely grateful. They managed to keep quite a decent relationship, satisfying for both parties and it was obvious for Adam that she should be invited to celebrate this special day with him. John Winchester moved on with his life, but neither Adam nor Mary showed much interest in how was he faring after the divorce, choosing to conveniently let him disappear from their lives and minds.

Eventually, the day which initially seemed so distant had come. Adam had been putting on his perfectly tailored wedding outfit when Michael approached him with a serious look on his face.

‘’Adam, I need to tell you something now. It’s important,’’ he announced. The fiancé froze, eyeing him with concern. ‘’Adam, you’re the best what happened to me in my whole life,’’ finished the Lord.

The former slave punched him in the arm.

‘’Don’t you dare to scare me like that again! I thought you changed your mind about marrying me.’’

The nobleman look outraged.

‘’What? Never. I love you too much to even think about something like that.’’

Adam sighed with relief.

‘’Good. Do you want me to have a heart attack in the day of my own wedding?’’

‘’Our wedding,’’ corrected him the brunette immediately.

‘’I know, I know,’’ muttered the younger man impatiently. ‘’What I have gotten myself into?’’

‘’I warned you.’’

Adam took a deep breath.

‘’Yes, you did. Okay, Michael, I guess I can make a confession as well. I want to tell you, that even though the events that led me to meet you were terrible and after that it wasn’t always sunny as well, I would have gone through all this one more time to have you.’’

The fiancé planted a soft kiss on his lips.

‘’Adam, you’re the best.’’

At first he wanted to teach Adam something, viewing it as him natural right and duty, but in the end it turned out that Adam was the one to teach him a lot.

The former offender was blissfully happy as well. He was loved, loved and accepted. He was no longer afraid or forced to keep constant vigilance. He had found his own place in the world in the most unexpected way and he was happy, so thrilled he could barely breathe. He wasn’t getting married to prove anything to the world or to himself. He was doing it solely because of love and he knew Michael was doing it for exactly the same reason. He trusted the man unconditionally, something he thought he would never achieve, but it came naturally in the right moment. 

‘’Do you think it was a good idea to give Jack the wedding rings? I mean, we all adore him and he’s exceptionally smart, but he’s so little…’’ Trailed off Michael, pulling Adam back to reality.

‘’Michael, you’re lucky Lucifer isn’t here to hear this. Everything’s going to be fine. Jack will manage. It’s not a hard task.’’

‘’Not a hard task? Adam, he might be confused and overwhelmed with all these guests. And King himself is here…’’

‘’I don’t think it makes a difference to Jack, the King or not.’’

‘’Adam!’’

‘’He’s a kid, he couldn’t care less about power or titles. Come on, Mike, I thought I would be the one to panic.’’

‘’I’m not panicking, Adam, I just want everything to be perfect.’’

‘’It will be,’’ promised the younger man consolingly, looking at Michael with his beautiful blue eyes.

And it was. Michael barely remember walking down the aisle, overwhelmed with excitement and joy and judging from the look on Adam’s face, the other man felt exactly the same. Despite Michael’s concerns, Jack did a perfect job carrying the rings, Chuck was the perfect gentleman all the evening and even Lucifer and Gabriel behaved decently. Raphael brought a bunch of medicine books as the peace offering, concluding now she really had no choice than accept Adam and she might have as well support him on his quest to knowledge, which immensely helped him later on, when he graduated and practiced as the fully-fledged physician. Michael and Adam were officially together, surrounded by the supportive people, all of whom later claimed it was by far the most beautiful ceremony they had been lucky to attend. The bad times were over, while they had many good years ahead, to spend time with each other, to argue, bicker and then come the agreements over and over, to carry on their life plans, to watch how their nieces and nephews grow up, to be simply happy with the life they chose, cause there was always sun after rain, light in the dark, comfort after pain, dawn after the long dark night, or simply a happy ending, the one found in the very unconventional way, but worth every effort, every second of the fight, to be in the place they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like crying. I managed it. This is really the end. It’s quite a relief, but it’s also heartbreaking. It took me half a year, but I’m happy and satisfied with this fic. I guess it could have been better, but I can assure you, I did my best. Posting a chapter on each Sunday morning has become kind of my own private ritual I’m definitely going to miss as well as receiving your comments and answering them. My characters have come quite a long way and so have I. Some of you may say this ending is too sweet and optimistic and it’s your right as the readers, but I’ve written it that way because I’m of the opinion that I had my characters undergo quite a lot of hardships during the fic and the good guys deserve a happy ending. I briefly considered doing something terrible to Kelly and Lucifer, so that Michael and Adam could have taken Jack in, but as you can see, I left them being okay.  
> Now I’m moving on to the different fandom, for two reasons. One is the promise I made to someone, here on ao3, to write something and I kept her waiting long enough, because I wanted to focus on this fic. Secondly, I have this need to move on myself. Midam, however, as well as the SPN fandom in general, will be always close to my heart, but for now, I can’t tell whether there will be any more SPN fics from me. One of the drawbacks of the writing in not knowing when and how the inspiration hits (on the other hand, is it really a drawback?).  
> Thank you, all of you, for being here for me, for leaving a sign of appreciation. It really means a lot to me. This is the way I knew it’s worth writing when I had doubts. It breaks my heart to leave you all, but as I’ve written a paragraph above, I have reasons to move on and try something new. (Or relatively new. I have agreed to write a shapeshifter Loki slavefic. You’re all welcome to come and read.)


End file.
